Leveraging Change: The Role Of Accountability Forums In Response To Police Harm

Abstract

The nature of policing and the significant power police are granted by the state means they have the power to cause harm to individuals or groups. Policing requires legitimacy. The state in turn provides public forums to examine police conduct in addition to civil litigation for an individual. There are tensions in this dichotomy because police have dual accountability obligations when they cause harm: both to the public, who require this as a means of safeguarding the control given to the police, and to also the individual who deserves redress. This thesis examines some of the accountability mechanisms that are available and their effectiveness. It then suggests some ways these forums can be strengthened so that individual and public accountability can be better achieved.