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Originally Posted by m21sniper
We REALLY need that here in the US.
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We actually had a citizens' oversight committee in Seattle until sometime last year. Not just any citizens, either. Former Mayor, some former Congressmen and women, and other such people who had held some sort of office. Their job was to maintain oversight over the Seattle PD, launching inquiries and/or investigations into allegations levied against the police.
They all resigned and the committee was disbanded last year. They gave up in the face of overwhelming lack of cooporation from the police. The real straw that broke that camel's back, however, was the fact that the police chief carried "veto authority" over their findings and decisions. In case after case after case, when this committee found against an officer, the chief merely overode their findings. So they all quit in disgust, making a very public announcement as to why, including a letter to Mayor Nickels expressing their anger and frustration.