Paying Out Hundreds of Millions Over Police Misconduct

Chicago has a long and costly history of police misconduct and there are currently hundreds of civil rights cases against the city that are pending and under review. In 2016, the city paid roughly $32 million over various misconduct lawsuits. And since 2011, they've paid hundreds of millions, over $280 million total, on numerous lawsuits stemming from various misconduct allegations.

For 2018, they've already paid out more than $20 million because of various police misconduct cases that involve allegations of excessive force, illegal search and seizure, and false arrest.

Even the president of the Chicago Police Board has admitted that the current state of affairs is unsustainable.

The police board has criticized oversight committees for their failure to allegedly recognize or analyze any pattern that's taking place.

However, according to a previous investigation report by the Justice Department from last year into this issue, it was suggested that the problem rests with a police culture which permits and at times even encourages excessive force.

That this force isn't monitored effectively and there often isn't appropriate punishment for any wrongdoing.

Some of the most costly cases, it turns out, are those involving police shootings.

As one accomplished attorney, Jon Loevy, from the Chicago region has pointed out, it would be cheaper for authorities to try and address the problem rather than continue paying tens of millions over misconduct.

At the end of the day, they are paying hundreds of millions because people are being abused unjustly.

And it isn't only civilian critics who recognize this problem, there are a variety of officers and other professionals within the criminal justice system that have also admitted that there is a problem and frequent wrongdoing that often goes overlooked. The cost of that wrongdoing speaks for itself.

If those who are guilty of wrongdoing don't feel the pain in paying the cost for the damages that have been endured, and it instead is coming from taxpayers, then we shouldn't be surprised if there are many who might not feel pressure to change. That isn't to say that there aren't ever times when officers are held accountable for any wrongdoing, though most often it will be taxpayers who are footing the bill. How fast might the change come if those millions were coming from the pocket of the officer, the department, or their pension plans?

Pics:
pixabay

Sources:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/04/17/chicago-police-misconduct-case-settlements/
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20160320/NEWS07/160319758/how-chicago-racked-up-a-662-million-police-misconduct-bill
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-chicago-police-department-of-justice-report-20170113-htmlstory.html
http://www.chicagoreporter.com/police-misconduct-payouts-continue-to-break-the-bank-in-chicago/?utm_source=SRichardson_Media&utm_medium=Email_060817&utm_campaign=Payouts
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2014/12/when-cops-violate-civil-rights-its-city-taxpayers-who-pay/383419/
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/jury-awards-record-44-7m-in-chicago-police-misconduct-case/