{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":45925,"title":"Should Police Unions Be Reformed?","html_content":"

by Causes | 8.19.20

What’s the story?

While Congress’s focus has shifted from the police reform debate for the time being and some lawmakers are advocating for punting the issue until next year, the role of police unions in protecting law enforcement officers from punishment for misbehavior will be a significant aspect of future negotiations on the issue along with other issues like qualified immunity.
About half of America’s 800,000 police officers belong to a police union. Like all labor unions, police unions exist to protect the interests of all of their members to the greatest extent possible. Stronger protections for officers from termination are often negotiated by police unions in their collectively bargained contracts with local governments, which can protect bad actors and allow them to return to duty with minimal punishment.
For example, Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck until he died, had 18 complaints filed against him but remained on the force and faced only minor discipline until he was terminated for his role in Floyd’s death.
The terms of police union contracts can also have other operational impacts on police departments. The city of Camden, New Jersey, in 2012 was dealing with high levels of crime and a problematic police force which had nearly 30% of its union officers taking sick or family leave on a daily basis.
Camden ultimately decided to eliminate its city police department and fire its union officers and establish a new, nonunion police force with the county that former city cops could reapply for under less generous contracts. Employment costs per officer dropped from $182,168 to $99,605 annually, and those savings allowed the size of the police force to grow from 250 to 400, putting more cops on the beat after training reforms. Violent crime rates in Camden decreased following the changes.
Some have suggested curtailing police unions’ ability to collectively bargain as a way of encouraging police reform. The editorial board of the Boston Globe called for limiting the ability of police unions to bargain over disciplinary matters:

“It’s one thing for police unions to bargain over salaries. But in many states, public-sector labor law also allows police unions to bargain discipline. That’s a power they have used with gusto: Police contracts routinely contain provisions that restrict how and when an officer can be questioned after a complaint is filed, call for the destruction of prior disciplinary records, ban civilian oversight, and require arbitration in cases of disciplinary action.”

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / kali9)

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/akW3yomg/801bd8/iStock-474088166%20%281%29.jpg","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/akW3yomg/801bd8/iStock-474088166%20%281%29.jpg","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/akW3yomg/801bd8/iStock-474088166%20%281%29.jpg","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/akW3yomg/801bd8/iStock-474088166%20%281%29.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/akW3yomg/801bd8/iStock-474088166%20%281%29.jpg"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/45925-police-unions-reformed","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/45925-police-unions-reformed/comments"},"comment_count":327,"action_count":2489,"cta_prompt":"Do you support or oppose reforming police unions?","cta_type":"reactions","share_count":13,"published_at":"2020-08-19T19:34:52.038Z","is_countable_article":true,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":1,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"Loren","vote_count":261,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/aW5qd4kW/large_aw5qd4kw-1582233971.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/aW5qd4kW/small_aw5qd4kw-1582233971.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/aW5qd4kW/tiny_aw5qd4kw-1582233971.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10103145497035824/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/aW5qd4kW/following","followers":"/api/users/aW5qd4kW/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":19,"is_following":null,"influence_score":430,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":13,"following_count":7,"position_count":97,"id":"aW5qd4kW","partner_id":null},{"name":"Leslie","vote_count":460,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211586901854267/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Bmyny8a9/following","followers":"/api/users/Bmyny8a9/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":13,"is_following":null,"influence_score":16660,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":747,"following_count":12884,"position_count":260,"id":"Bmyny8a9","partner_id":null},{"name":"Kodiwodi","vote_count":851,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9X3M3Dm/large_e9x3m3dm-1584284470.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9X3M3Dm/small_e9x3m3dm-1584284470.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9X3M3Dm/tiny_e9x3m3dm-1584284470.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1835970450017106/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/e9X3M3Dm/following","followers":"/api/users/e9X3M3Dm/followers"},"about_me":"Independent. I believe in science, climate change, the earth is round, safe , legal abortions, and an end to hatred and bigotry of all kinds. I’m what’s called a RedLetter Christian and don’t waste my time in Leviticus. I don’t shove my beliefs down your throat and neither should you. I think we can disagree without wishing each other harm and would welcome the return of common human decency. I believe in the US Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights. Earth before Country. People before Corporations. Love before all.","twitter_id":"","facebook_id":"dayers55@yahoo.com","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":"","website":null,"slug":"kodiwodi","issue_count":91,"is_following":null,"influence_score":15675,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":345,"following_count":37,"position_count":630,"id":"e9X3M3Dm","partner_id":null},{"name":"Dicr","vote_count":221,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XBdlXZ/large_e9xbdlxz-1538070422.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XBdlXZ/small_e9xbdlxz-1538070422.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/e9XBdlXZ/tiny_e9xbdlxz-1538070422.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/e9XBdlXZ/following","followers":"/api/users/e9XBdlXZ/followers"},"about_me":"Concerned American who wants to leave a better America for our children and a better world for all.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"dicr","issue_count":25,"is_following":null,"influence_score":6120,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":222,"following_count":2,"position_count":159,"id":"e9XBdlXZ","partner_id":null},{"name":"Joanne ","vote_count":361,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8wROXZ/large_zm8wroxz-1583291005.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8wROXZ/small_zm8wroxz-1583291005.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/zm8wROXZ/tiny_zm8wroxz-1583291005.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/zm8wROXZ/following","followers":"/api/users/zm8wROXZ/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":2670,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":105,"following_count":14,"position_count":273,"id":"zm8wROXZ","partner_id":"efa417af-11b4-4a08-9b10-fff245626400"},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":553,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":46980,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1589,"following_count":85,"position_count":548,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1336247,"body":"As the Chapter Treasurer of CSEA 289, an AFL-CIO affiliate, it upsets me that police unions protect violent murderers from accountability. The ability to enact violence without consequences should not be included in collective bargaining. ","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":45925,"created_at":"2020-08-19T19:43:33.341Z","liked":false,"like_count":5,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1336247","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1336247&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":45925,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1336247.png","note":{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},"note_text":"Support","note_color":"#2ca788","user_id":"aW5qd4kW","liker_ids":["Bmyny8a9","e9X3M3Dm","e9XBdlXZ","zm8wROXZ","9odrQBnb"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 5 Users