{"id":28626,"date":"2016-12-31T11:29:21","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T19:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=28626"},"modified":"2016-12-31T11:29:21","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T19:29:21","slug":"wall-street-journal-why-some-problem-cops-dont-lose-their-badges-youtube-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=28626","title":{"rendered":"Wall Street Journal: Why Some Problem Cops Don\u2019t Lose Their Badges (Youtube Video)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Wall Street Journal examination shows how states allow some police officers to remain on the force despite misconduct<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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\"Former<\/span><\/div>\n
Former Inkster, Mich., police officer William Melendez, here in court last year, was convicted of assault and misconduct. He is appealing the verdict.<\/span> PHOTO: <\/span>DAVID COATES\/THE DETROIT NEWS\/ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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By<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

LOUISE RADNOFSKY<\/span>,<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
ZUSHA ELINSON<\/span>,<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
JOHN R. EMSHWILLER<\/span> and<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
GARY FIELDS<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

139 COMMENTS<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gary Allen Steele fired a gun near his former girlfriend during an argument. Donald Snider harassed a minor. Claudia Wright faced forgery charges. Frank Garcia was accused of shooting out his window while driving drunk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"WallAll pleaded guilty to crimes or left jobs to avoid prosecution. All were police officers at the time of their alleged misconduct. All still are.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are among hundreds of officers in America who still have badges after being charged with crimes, The Wall Street Journal found in an examination tracking outcomes of police-misconduct cases across every state.<\/span><\/p>\n

Infractions that can disqualify barbers, child-care providers and others needing state certification don\u2019t necessarily bar officers from retaining jobs or getting new ones. In America\u2019s patchwork system, most states let some officers remain on the force despite misconduct, including actions that other states might consider disqualifying.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while states routinely have databases letting citizens check the licensing status of, say, an auctioneer, many states don\u2019t readily offer such listings of police, and some refuse to make public even the names of officers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Journal\u2019s analysis gives credence to the notion put forth by some law-enforcement officials that police misconduct\u2014which has become a point of national debate<\/a> after a series of high-profile shooting deaths<\/a>, some on video<\/a>\u2014might in part stem from the presence of a small but persistent minority of \u201cbad apple\u201d officers who are allowed to stay on the job.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is frequently possible for problem officers to keep their posts or move from job to job, the analysis shows. Some police agencies don\u2019t always check whether applicants have records of misdeeds. Among states with processes for stripping officers of certification, some didn\u2019t decertify a single one in 2015. Union rules<\/a> often help officers retain their jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Police officials acknowledge standards should be high given the life-or-death authority vested in officers. While all accused officers deserve due-process rights, that shouldn\u2019t be a barrier against holding them accountable for severe misconduct, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Discharging problem officers \u201cis a challenge for police chiefs and sheriffs across America,\u201d he <\/span>said \u201cbecause the review process will sometimes uphold the findings of misconduct, but reduce the penalty of termination to suspension days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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