Police Review Boards and Police Accountability

Abstract

The problem of accountability of public officials and public agencies is one of the most difficult in democratic theory and practice.l While it is recognized that democratic governments, if they are to accomplish their mandates, must be allocated certain authority, it is equally recognized that the government and its officials can abuse this power. The tensions created by the need to allocate governmental power without eroding governmental responsiveness are manifest in two important respects. On the one hand, abuse of governmental power may jeopardize the individual liberty of a citizen or group of citizens. On the other hand, the possibility that usurpers of power will rule arbitrarily without regard for the will of the governed has concerned citizens and students of American democracy since the days of the founding fathers.2 Over the past decade criticism of the procedures and practices of bureaucracies providing municipal services has increased. A number of programs and policies have been recommended and enacted that would help to, maintain a balance between governmental bureaucratic power and bureaucratic responsiveness. Among these policies have been the establishment of legal services for the poor,3 demands for community control of schools and police,4 maximum feasible participation in poverty programs,5 and police review boards.6 While the subject of this article is police review boards, it should be clear that the importance of accountability to clients and citizens is not unique to the police. As a report to the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice put the issue: