First, disband any law enforcement agency that has clearly attacked innocent civilians multiply times. Then rebuild those agencies with independent civilian regulation (and add independent civilian regulation even to the agencies that are not disbanded).
Principle #1: Independent civilian regulation of all law enforcement agencies.
Principle #2: Demilitarization of all law enforcement agencies.
Principle #3: Mandatory reporting and documentation of all physical violence.
Independent Civilian Regulation
All law enforcement agencies must have a completely independent civilian regulatory board in order to legally operate. The board does not run the agency, determine budgets, or make hiring decisions, but can mandate the actions outlined below.
- Only civilians can be members of the board (no law enforcement officers, current or former, and none as an immediate family member).
- The board must consist of a representative mix of genders, ethnicities, and social classes consistent with the community being served.
- Offices, budget, and staff must be completely separate from any law enforcement agency offices, budget, or staff.
- The board must only report to the highest possible executive level (mayor for a city police force, governor for a state police force, president for the FBI, etc.). The board's decisions cannot be overturned by the executive they report to; their decisions or rulings can only be overturned by the courts and only in cases of clear corruption or violation of the law.
- The board must have complete access to all law enforcement records and files, subpoena powers, and an independent prosecutor for all crimes committed by law enforcement officers.
- All complaints and accusations against law enforcement officers are made directly to the board (or board's staff).
- The board can temporarily suspend an officer from duty without notice for 24 hours, can mandate that an officer undergo a psychological evaluation, and can mandate the firing of law enforcement officers even in the absence of criminal conduct. Any member of the law enforcement agency can be removed (including chiefs, directors, etc.) if the board determines that doing so is in the best interest of the citizens of the community.
- The board does not employ law enforcement officers and is not allowed to be a part of officer union negotiations. Contracts with law enforcement officers (union-based or not) cannot in any way interfere with or diminish the power of the board.
Demilitarization of Law Enforcement
All law enforcement agencies must remove and prohibit all the equipment and trappings of a military organization. The board is the final arbiter of what exactly qualifies or is prohibited by these regulations.
- The majority of law enforcement officers must be unarmed (no weapons, no handcuffs, etc.). These officers enforce traffic laws, serve warrants, and handle all situations in which violence is unlikely and coercion is not necessary. They can arrest civilians, but will call on armed police only if the suspect does not voluntarily surrender.
- At most, one-third of law enforcement officers can carry regulation sidearms and batons, but only after two years of active duty experience, along with review and approval by the board. No other weapons (longarms, explosive devices, chemical agents, tasers, etc.) are allowed to be carried while on duty.
- Law enforcement agencies are not permitted to own or use military vehicles or equipment other than body armor. Unusual pseudo-weapons (water cannons, sonic weapons, etc.) are also prohibited.
- Law enforcement officer training must emphasize deescalation and community connections, as must leaders in the agency (failure to do so being a legitimate reason for removal by the board). Official or unofficial "warrior" training is forbidden.
- A minimum of two years of full-time training is required to become a law enforcement officer, followed by two weeks a year of mandatory training updates.
- The sole exception to the above is that a state or federal level agency (but never a county or city) can have SWAT teams that are militarized and do not fall under these restrictions. These team is prohibited from being involved in the serving of warrants and can only be activated by direct order of the highest government executive. County and city police chiefs, with approval of their controlling executive, can request assistance from these SWAT teams in emergency situations. All SWAT activations must have a mandatory public after-action review performed by the board of the appropriate agency.
Mandatory Reporting and Documentation
All law enforcement agencies must report to the board and thoroughly document all incidents of physical violence. The board is the final arbiter of the nature and extent of this reporting and documentation, along with when removal of an officer (or other actions) are to be taken.
- Physical violence used by law enforcement officers must be documented and justified. Officers with unusually high or extreme usage of physical violence (even when legal and justified) may be removed by the board.
- Physical violence used by civilians must be documented and reported if observed by a law enforcement officer while on duty. Demonstrated failure to do so is a legitimate reason for removal by the board.
- Law enforcement officers that observe other officers (from any agency) using physical violence or committing a crime must report and document the incident. Failure to do so is a felony, while doing so inaccurately is a legitimate reason for removal by the board.