In an attempt to address the national outcry over police brutality, President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that introduces very limited reforms. The order lays the foundation for a national database to track the use of excessive force, but only calls for police officers to be included when they are terminated, de-certified, convicted of a crime, or found liable in civil court. That’s remarkably timid — to be truly worthwhile, this database needs to be publicly available and include each police officer’s credentials, along with an extensive list of the disciplinary action and complaints he or she has faced. Fortunately, a good model exists: the strikingly transparent national database on the people who handle our financial investments.
In an attempt to address the national outcry over police brutality, President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that introduces very limited reforms. The order lays the foundation for a national database to track the use of excessive force, but only calls for police officers to be included when they are terminated, de-certified, convicted of a crime, or found liable in civil court. That’s remarkably timid — to be truly worthwhile, this database needs to be publicly available and include each police officer’s credentials, along with an extensive list of the disciplinary action and complaints he or she has faced. Fortunately, a good model exists: the strikingly transparent national database on the people who handle our financial investments.
