Senator Oletha Faust Goudeau proposed changes in the way that Kansas handles issues of police-related shootings. Senator Goudeau hopes that her legislation, KS-SB-216, provides a framework that protects both officers and the community.
SB 216, The Special Prosecutor Bill, named the Investigation and Review of Deaths Involving Law Enforcement Officers, was introduced to our legislature this week.
SB 216 requires that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) operate investigations in all law enforcement shootings that results in a death. It prevents local agencies from investigating themselves in shootings where someone is killed. It requires that if fault is found, the Attorney General will prosecute the case himself or herself or assign a special prosecutor to prevent any conflicts of interest from arising. This will remove the impression of bias that families currently experience with local district attorneys investigating the cases.
This law will ensure a common-sense approach to law enforcement and provide many families relief in knowing that their loved one's death was not in vain.
This bill echoes part of the Michael Brown Over-Policed Rights Act. The MBOPRA is the bill which Support the Dream Defenders (STDDs) crowd-sourced at Daily Kos last fall. That law has been subsequently promoted by both the NAACP and the ACLU. Congressman G. K. Butterfield, the recently elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the number one priority of that group this year is to focus on relations between police and African Americans. He added that he was very concerned about this issue, given recent tragic developments.
The legislation, which can be read here, looks to provide not just accountability to the process but also a clean way to handle all claims.
In incidents where police officers are required to use a show of force that results in the death of a citizen, an outside party should handle the investigation.
This common-sense solution is in response to ongoing work by legislators to put confidence into the work that police departments do every day. By moving investigation of deaths in the line of duty, officers who are cleared will feel exonerated by a process that will be seen as more reliable and fair.
Communities deserve to know that accountability is a key component of law and order practices in their state.
The below is an ongoing project of the Daily Kos Group Support the Dream Defenders. We need your help in requesting FOIA documents from Republican governors and a rational explanation as to why they are stubbornly blocking Medicaid expansion in red states. More details on how you can help are in this diary from last week - Let Our Poor People Live - We Could Use Your Help on This Important Project (STDDs, Week 23).