Negotiated Justice: The Legal, Administrative and Policy Implications of "Pattern or Practice" Police Misconduct Reform

This GRF involves an exploratory study tp examine the §14141 "pattern or practice" reform process in four jurisdictions: Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Prince George's County, MD; and Washington, DC. The project's data are drawn from three sources: (1) quarterly reports filed by independent monitors and police department staff; (2) structured interviews with key stakeholders, including police leadership, relevant city and county government personnel, independent monitors, and current and former DOJ attorneys; and (3) public demographic, crime, and socio-economic data. The study's data analysis is driven by a grounded theoretical approach and relies on the ATLAS.ti software package for electronic sorting, coding, and conceptual grouping. Findings from this research will provide police leadership and other governmental and citizen stakeholders with insight into the reform process and department efforts to perpetuate changes to use of force policy, officer training and accountability systems, and perhaps most importantly, organizational culture. ca/ncf