LWVUS Asks Attorney General for Update on National Law Enforcement Accountability Database

LWVUS joins a letter to the US Attorney General requesting an update on the development of a public national law enforcement accountability database, as mandated by President Biden's Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety.

The Honorable Merrick Garland

U.S. Attorney General

Room 5111, Robert F. Kennedy Building

Washington, DC 20530

March 14, 2023

Dear Attorney General Garland,

On May 25th, 2022 President Biden signed Executive Order 14074 on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. The order mandates that, within 240 days of its signing, the Attorney General establishes a National Law Enforcement Accountability Database as "a centralized repository of official records documenting instances of law enforcement officer misconduct." The undersigned organizations dedicated to transparency and accountability are writing to you today because it has now been 294 days since the executive order was signed; however, a public database has not been established, nor has the Attorney General’s office issued a statement regarding its status.

In the time since President Biden signed the executive order, the need for a central database to hold law enforcement accountable has only grown more apparent, with the recent and brutal killing of Tyre Nichols underscoring the dire need for police reform to protect the safety of all Americans, and particularly Black Americans who are disproportionately victims of police violence. Police brutality in the form of excessive force, unjustified shootings, severe beatings, and fatal choking remains one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. However, the prevalence of police brutality in America is not comprehensively documented.

Transparency is the bedrock of accountability. Without transparency and recordkeeping laws the American people lack the information needed to scrutinize and, when necessary, challenge the decisions of their government. That is why a public, national database as ordered by the president would be a major step forward for transparency. Moreover, it also has the potential to reduce police misconduct by preventing so-called “wandering cops” —law enforcement officers who have lost their job due to misconduct but are able to hop between agencies that are unaware of their past actions.

The need for an Accountability Database is long overdue. We look forward to hearing back from you with an update on the status of the Accountability Database and stand ready to work with the Department of Justice to lend our experience in building and designing transparency measures should it be useful.

Sincerely,

See Attached Letter for Signatories