Police decertification: changing patterns among the states, 1985‐1995

Traditional remedies for police misconduct, such as exclusion of evidence illegally seized from the defendant’s trial, permit the offending officer to remain in law enforcement. In most other professions, removal of the license or certificate of the offending professional has been a traditional remedy for serious misconduct. “Decertification” of peace officers is a relatively recent phenomenon. Presents an analysis of changing dimensions of decertification authority among states from 1985 to 1995. National patterns indicated a substantial strengthening of decertification authority and decertification practices among states. The largest movement of states was into the broad revocation category and a majority of states were found to have such authority. Finds that innovative decertification practices concerning departmental reporting requirements about police officers’ conduct to a state board and qualified immunity for police chiefs’ “good faith” reporting about employees alter relationships between local agencies and state boards. Demonstrates that police officer decertification is a national movement.