The Committee addressed qualified immunity by resurrecting the Second Amendment of the right to keep and bear the arms of the United States and the respective States which issues the licenses.
With great discernment, the Committee amazingly addressed the legacy of Conyers, without once saying his name, or the fact that he, as Chairman Emeritus of Judiciary, was denied due process, assassinated by blasphemy.
Absolutely amazing to witness the soulless execute such a bipartisan task.
Nessel calls for public database of Michigan's problem police officers
Detroit Police Chief James Craig speaks after officer Waldis Johnson's funeral Detroit Free PressLANSING – The public could access a statewide database of problem police officers under a set of reforms put forward Tuesday by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Nessel said in a news release she wants the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards to create a police misconduct registry of verified claims of abuse or other misconduct made against police officers in Michigan.
The proposed registry is part of a seven-point plan Nessel released amid nationwide discussions about police reform in the wake of the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, a Black man who died during an arrest by Minneapolis police.
Frank Guido, general counsel for the Police Officers Association of Michigan — a union representing more than 12,000 officers in more than 300 local police and sheriff departments — said he is OK with some of Nessel's proposals, two of which he said are already in place, but he has concerns with others.
As for the public database, how would misconduct be defined? Guido asked. Also, "is this a requirement that is appropriate for all government employees?" or would only police officers be singled out, he asked.
The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards sets professional standards in education, selection, employment, licensing and funding in law enforcement and criminal justice in Michigan. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she was adding four seats to the commission — which has been dominated by law enforcement representatives — to give it a greater community voice.
Nessel said that in 2016 the commission began requiring that law enforcement officers be licensed. But she said the commission "lacks sufficient authority to oversee law enforcement professionals and to revoke the licenses of police officers who demonstrate poor moral character or violate the public trust."
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More: Whitmer: Require police to intervene if they see officers use excessive force
The measures she announced Tuesday are "the first step toward implementing positive change in our criminal justice system," Nessel said.
In addition to the database, Nessel called for:
Amending the Public Employee Benefits Forfeiture Act so that officers forfeit their retirement benefits upon conviction of a felony related to misconduct while on duty.
Authorizing the commission to suspend or revoke a license when an officer engages in certain misconduct.
Requiring police agencies to maintain all disciplinary records of a police officers in their personnel files.
Requiring police agencies to report use of force data, with information about the civilians' race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion and age.
Creating an independent investigative and prosecutorial process for deaths resulting from police actions.
Requiring continuing education for officers as a condition of licensing and improving and standardizing policies and training related to conflict de-escalation, cultural awareness, and implicit bias.
The public registry of problem officers would be a departure for Michigan. Until 2018, when Public Act 128 of 2017 took effect, even Michigan police agencies often could not review the circumstances under which police officers seeking employment left their previous departments. That had led to an issue with problem officers moving from one police agency to another, without their records following them.
“We must do more than just condemn bigotry and acts of excessive force committed by law enforcement officers. We must act,” Nessel said.
"Making meaningful and concrete changes doesn’t end here, but it’s crucial that we move first with measures which create better accountability and more transparency to the actions of law enforcement here in Michigan."
Guido said no officer should forfeit pension money they have contributed or earned for past service.
He also expressed concern about the proposed license suspensions. Guido wondered who would make such determinations and what due process protections would be in place.
"The concepts are far too broad," he said. "Not much job security for a law enforcement officer if every move is subject to someone claiming, after the fact, it was detrimental to the department — and now you lose your job because of knee-jerk reactions."
Maintenance of disciplinary records already occurs, as do independent investigations, and additional training is always welcome as long as the government funds it, Guido said.
"Reporting data is not objectionable as long as sufficient funds are provided out of the AG budget for personnel to do record-keeping," Guido said. "Also, the data should include information concerning the individuals that attack law enforcement."
In an executive order Tuesday, President Donald Trump called for creation of a national database of problem officers to track potential police hires with records of abuse. But unlike the registry proposed by Nessel, Trump's database would not be accessible to the public. Instead, data from the national database would be made anonymous and periodically made public, according to the order.
Until Whitmer's recent executive order, the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards had 19 members. The AG, the director of the Michigan State Police and the chief of police in Detroit are all members. The other 16 members are appointed by the governor, based on recommendations from various law enforcement groups, such as the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.
Whitmer's order adds as members the director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and three community representatives.
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