Note to editors: Access the database and more details here.
Summary: Legislation governing police has increased dramatically in recent years, including in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. To better understand lawmaking in response to calls for reform, Duke University’s Wilson Center for Science and Justice began tracking the introduction of policing-related legislation in spring 2020. The continually updated database includes more than 3,800 bills — federal, state, and local — across a range of topics related to law enforcement, from 2018 through 2022. It can be used by policymakers, academics, journalists and others. Duke law professor Brandon Garrett is available to talk to media about the project.
Quotes:
“The high-profile police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others as well as the ensuing protests in the summer of 2020 brought renewed attention to the issue of policing and use of force,” says Brandon Garrett, a law professor at Duke University and a leading scholar of criminal justice outcomes, evidence and constitutional rights.
“But to truly understand if those calls for change are having any effect on policy, it is critical that we document legislation governing police. This database, the largest of its kind and one which will be continually updated, allows policymakers, academics and other stakeholders to more fully understand the amount, distribution and content of policing legislation across the country.”
Bio:
Brandon Garrett
Brandon Garrett is a law professor at Duke University and a leading scholar of criminal justice outcomes, evidence and constitutional rights. Garrett’s research and teaching interests include forensic science, eyewitness identification, corporate crime, constitutional rights and habeas corpus and criminal justice policy. He is the author of five books.
For additional comment, contact Brandon Garrett at:
bgarrett@law.duke.edu
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Media Contact:
Jennifer Melton
jennifer.melton@duke.edu
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