What are the constitutional limits on police use of force? What remedies are available when those limits are exceeded? And in light of recent episodes of police violence, how might the limits and the remedies be modified?
Those questions are addressed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.
“By the very nature of their job, law enforcement officers are tasked with using physical force to restrain individuals and protect themselves and others from harm,” the CRS report states. “Police officers must stop and seize violent suspects, serve search warrants in hostile environments, and maintain the peace and safety of the communities in which they serve.”
Yet “recent law enforcement-related deaths… have prompted a call for legal accountability against the officers involved in these killings, but also, more broadly, for systemic police reform on both the federal and state level.”
A copy of the report was obtained by Secrecy News. See Police Use of Force: Rules, Remedies, and Reforms, October 30, 2015.
Other new and newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Is Violent Crime in the United States Increasing?, October 29, 2015
Apportioning Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives Using the 2013 Estimated Citizen Population, updated October 30, 2015
The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation, updated November 2, 2015
Aiding Israel after the Iran Nuclear Deal: Issues for Congress, CRS Insight, October 30, 2015
Designation of Global ‘Too Big To Fail’ Firms, CRS Insight, October 29, 2015
The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB): Frequently Asked Questions, October 30, 2015
Cargo Preferences for U.S.-Flag Shipping, October 29, 2015
The EU-U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement on Personal Data Privacy: In Brief, October 29, 2015
The Legal Process to Reschedule Marijuana, CRS Legal Sidebar, November 2, 2015
Government Speech, Religious Displays, and Finding Balance in the First Amendment, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 30, 2015
Impeachment and Removal, October 29, 2015
Commercial artificial intelligence tools have recently emerged that are able to produce police reports. If the resulting reports are inaccurate, incomplete or biased, or if the process leaks confidential information, this could undermine the criminal justice system and harm citizens.
Too often, affected patients, clinicians, and regulators cannot see how the system works, why a decision was made, or whether meaningful human oversight occurred.
Existing tools from other domains, such as existing robust public engagement processes in drug development, when applied to AI deployment can help strengthen public trust in these systems and enhance perceptions of their legitimacy and the decisions they produce.
With thoughtful policy action, it is still possible to build systems that are fair, transparent, and accountable, and to earn the public trust that will ultimately determine AI’s future. We hope policymakers are ready to act.