Every day hundreds of thousands of decent police officers report for work. Every day their lives, reputations and characters are challenged by a few bad actors. They are as embarrassed by this as every citizen who pays their wages. The mistake they make that embarrasses their safety is failing to police their colleagues. They are intimidated by personal association and shared experience. Perhaps even shared fear. That has to stop.
Here is the solution. Every damage award should come from police retirement funds, reducing payouts of retirement benefits in the future and in the present. That means every time officers let bad apples bring liabilities to their communities their retirement and those already receiving benefits should see those benefits reduced until the penalty is paid. The police would immediately begin policing themselves.
If you have concerns about that explain that to a nine-year-old tackled to the ground and cuffed or a fifteen-year-old having his head smashed into the pavement or maybe you want to explain it to someone shot 21 times for having a cell phone, maybe a fourteen-year-old shot in the back on Christmas morning.
Maybe you want to explain it to the children of an officer shot out of hand because someone is frightened and radicalized by the misbehavior of other, unchecked officers.
This is the real world. Malefactors should be checked. Blue, black or purple let's make it actually matter in that real world.
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