Police Union Contracts And Police Bill Of Rights Analysis

Police union contracts and statewide Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights laws have created a system of protections for police officers that amount to an alternate justice system, creating significant legal and structural barriers to accountability, transparency, and fairness. Of at least 4,024 people killed by police since 2013, only 85 of these cases have led to an officer being charged with a crime. Only 6 cases have led to convictions - fewer than 0.2% of known police killings. Data from some of America's largest police departments show that officers who commit misconduct rarely face administrative consequences, either. It is not surprising that police officers are rarely, if ever, held responsible for their behavior, as the combination of provisions in police union contracts and Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights constitute de facto immunity from liability. Part I of our report will detail our analysis, conducted in collaboration with legal scholars, lawyers, and activists from around the country. Our findings demonstrate that police officers have access to an alternate justice system that allows them to act with impunity, one that is at odds with justice and simply unacceptable. Part II will present model contract language to equip citizens to directly influence the contract negotiation process with specific language to create a fairer police union contract.

This Brief examines the role of Police Unions in law enforcement policy development. It provides an overview of the historical and political background of police labor unions, and takes a critical look at the shifting perception of labor unions from generally positive to somewhat negative, to compare this perception with their real impact. It examines the perceived role that unions play, whether positive, negative, or neutral in the development and advancement of contemporary law enforcement agencies and their respective policies. This work provides a multisite survey of police administrators’ views and opinions on police union impact on a variety of police functions including: delivery of services, prevention of crime and disorder, and interaction with the public. The results of this research provide a comprehensive look at ways to improve the ways police departments operate and how they improve and enhance legitimacy in their communities.It provides a context for the current state of the public sector labor relations environment. It will be of interest to researchers in criminology and criminal justice, police science, and public policy.

Despite a growing widespread recognition that police unions represent a major component of policing and have major influences on aspects of policing such as disciplinary procedures, day-to-day management, and police-community relations, they have until recently been largely ignored by police scholars. In light of significant gaps in knowledge regarding police unions and the impacts that they have on law enforcement behavior and police accountability, this paper utilizes a case study approach to analyze all existing union contracts between the Portland Police Association (PPA) and the City of Portland in order to explore the prevalence of particular contract provisions that critics have placed under scrutiny as having the ability to impede fair and thorough investigations of officer misconduct or otherwise inhibit accountability. Findings show that PPA all [sic] contracts dating back from 1969 contain at least one provision that has the potential to thwart accountability efforts. Findings also show a general trend of increasing additional controversial provisions over the course of elapsing contract bargaining agreements.

This is a summary report of a two-year study of police unions and their effect on policing and law enforcement. The growth of police unionism in the united states during the 1960's has been a phenomenon of major importance in police management. Police unions in twenty-two urban areas were the target of this field study, during which interviews were conducted with police chiefs or their representatives, city labor relations representatives, police union leaders, and black officer organization leaders. The study explains the influences resulting in the recent rise of militancy in police unions and describes the present nature of these organizations. The effect of the lack of a single employer-figure on the form and conduct of collecting bargaining is discussed, as well as the impact of unions on labor-management relations. The study examines the dimensions of police union bargaining power and the use labor leaders make of this power in varying situations. The relationship between unionization and professionalization is analyzed, as is the impact of police labor organizing on the chief's ability to manage and on the formulation of law enforcement policy. The nature of black officer organizations, and the factors which led to their formation, are compared with similar characteristics of police unions, and the divergence of purpose is examined in relation to intra-departmental racial unrest. Appended is a bibliography on police unions and labor organizations.

This report provides an overview of the development and status of police unions, and presents guidelines for management on negotiating with police unions and dealing with police strikes. After reviewing the historical development of police unions, the author reviews the present state of collective bargaining legislation. Such aspects of police unions as union recognition, unit determination, and selection of the bargaining team are examined. Suggestions are offered on preparing for and conducting collective bargaining negotiations, and on developing strike contingency plans. A resource guide of police employee and management organizations is included.

In the wake of the Rodney King/Los Angeles Police incident, the Independent Commission on the L.A. Police Dept. was created to examine any aspect of the law enforcement structure in L.A. that might cause or contribute to the excessive use of force. This reports presents the results of this unprecedented inquiry, conducted through witness testimony; interviews of private citizens and current and retired police officers; computerized studies of force reports and complaints filed by the public; reviews of patrol car communications; and examination of the files in civil damage cases. Recommendations are presented in detail.