Human Rights Watch
Prosecutions for Unlawful Conduct. Section 101 of the bill changes the standard for prosecuting 18 USC 242 cases a statute that enables federal prosecutors to criminally charge law enforcement officers with violating people’s civil rights from “willfully” to “knowingly or recklessly.” This change aims to remove an intent requirement that some prosecutors claim has made it difficult to bring Section 242 cases.[9] This may increase the number of Section 242 cases brought at the federal level, which currently is extremely low compared to the number of complaints received,[10] if prosecutors are willing to bring cases. However, some scholars argue that federal prosecutors already have the tools to bring more cases against police officers for unlawful conduct but have failed to do so.[11] Human Rights Watch recommends enacting this change but believes that without changes in prosecutorial decision-making, it is likely to have limited impact.
We re almost one week into the Biden administration, and already there are a slew of changes. I mean, the president signed 17 executive orders in his first hours in office alone.
To help make sense of it all, we asked WBUR reporters to dig into key issues of importance to Massachusetts: what changes are (or may be) coming under the Biden administration, and what they re watching out for in the weeks to come.
This explainer was created as a special edition of WBUR s daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. To get more of the news Boston is talking about, sign up here.
215 2 minutes read
On Jan. 19, the Milwaukee Common Council decided to ignore organizers’ demands by re-voting on and ultimately accepting the $9.7 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant, which will hire 30 additional Milwaukee Police Department officers over three years. The grant was originally rejected last month, but after Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd motioned to reconsider it with added amendments, it was approved nine to six.
“I’m not surprised but I’m angry and frustrated,” said Hayden Harwood of Party for Socialism and Liberation Milwaukee. “If that money is used to hire more police, it means the Common Council will have to allocate more money towards MPD for the following years that those officers stay on. They pay for their salaries every year, for the damages they’ll eventually cause, and for their pensions. That $9.7 million wasn’t free. It was collected from the people and it will cost Milwaukee much more in the long run.”
Forum, Jan. 23: Linking Lebanon school officer and COPS grant is mistaken
Published: 1/22/2021 10:00:10 PM
Modified: 1/22/2021 10:00:06 PM
Linking Lebanon school officer and COPS grant is mistaken
The decision whether to discontinue the School Resource Officer position at Lebanon Middle School will be on the ballot March 9. This decision should not be influenced by “muddying the waters” with incorrect statements linking the SRO position and the 2017 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant.
Lebanon asked the Department of Justice to fund two full-time, entry-level officer positions with the goal of building trust and respect. The officers’ duties would include activities such as hosting “Coffee with a Cop,” not policing Lebanon’s schools. Chief Richard Mello, at a March 4, 2020, City Council meeting, verified that “the COPS grant funds were never used for School Resource Officers.” A statement that the grant actually prohibits the use of the award to fu