For years, it seems men and women who wear the badge have been above reproach. But for a multitude of officers, the records of their indiscretions are about to be released to the public, according to USA Today.
The distrust many police officers have already garnered in the court of public opinion is now underscored by official records that show infractions ranging from perjury and domestic abuse to driving drunk and committing criminal offenses.
USA Today and the Invisible Institute in Chicago conducted a year-long investigation to gather the biggest collection of police misconduct records.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 27: Karen Fleshman
Lawyer-activist Karen Fleshman returns to the GHOGH show to discuss why white folks call the cops on innocent Black folks and whether an ambiguous diversity concept helps empower BBQ Beckies and Permit Patties.
One disturbing trend found in the reports includes officers rising through the ranks despite being convicted of crimes and accused of misconduct, CBS News reported.
Over the years, police have been accused of corruption, planting evidence and more by people who have been arrested and convicted of crimes. It was large reason many cities pushed to have police wear body cameras, but even that has not been sufficient.
Now the proof is in the records. USA Today has compiled a database of the records that users can search to find out information about the officers’ offenses.
