Brief
Duty to Intervene

Key Observations

  • The  duty  to  intervene  has  not  been  clearly  defined  as  a standard  practice  in  established  statutory or constitutional requirements
  • Less  than  50%  of  the  largest  100  law  enforcement  departments  have duty  to  intervene  policies. 
  • Officers in departments with more restrictive  duty  to  intervene  and  use  of  force  policies  are  less  likely  to  be  assaulted,  injured  or  killed on the job.
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Duty to Intervene

Duty to Intervene

Laws and policies are necessary to direct officers to intervene in situations of excessive force. Maintaining safety is achievable, but only if officers: (a) have an explicit responsibility to intervene, (b) stop the excessive force, and (c) face severe consequences for failing to do so. It is clear that actionable, national-level policies are needed. This is the second in a series of action briefs on police reform.

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Duty to Intervene
Duty to Intervene