Today, we spent more time looking at Senate Bill 300, increasing our knowledge of state law, and learning about the intrinsic nature of rulemaking. I finished my research on the constitutionality of SBM monitoring, so I needed to take a step back, go back to Senate Bill 300, and come up with some more things to look at and research. Instead, I came up with more questions:
The first: How do criminal defendants not show up to court?
I was stunned that Senate Bill 300 touched on a problem I thought would have been fixed throughout the centuries of the North Carolina legislature. This loophole made me realize that Congress has to think about and set up each and every scenario possible for each law they make. Consequently, being in Congress is stressful and tiring, as members have to deal with individualized cases on a day-to-day basis. No one can think of everything, which is made apparent by the many loopholes in the system.
The second: How do early warning systems (a compilation of complaints, discharging of their firearm, vehicle collisions, and use of force against a police officer) limit the misconduct of police officers?
Although there is some research on the usage of early warning systems, no extensive and expansive research has been conducted. In one study, complaints against police officers went down from 2 per year to 1.5 per year. A 25% decrease in complaints is a good indicator of the success of the program, but a decrease in complaints does not show the complete picture. Long-term research needs to be conducted before my question can be answered.
The third and final question: How are the qualifications for becoming a police officer differ throughout the state of North Carolina?
All officers have to go through BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) but some are subject to mental health tests and other types of tests to ensure the safety of citizens, while other officers are not. This difference is key when determining the likelihood of an officer using deadly force when it was not required. These tests are administered by municipalities, but they all have different qualifications, making it hard for the state to determine who is a well-trained police officer and who is a civilian with no training carrying a badge.
-Travis