Posted on 06/18/2020 4:20:16 PM PDT by Enlightened1
Colorado state lawmakers passed legislation on Saturday that fundamentally changes policing in the state, and the governor is expected to sign it quickly.
The legislation was proposed after violent protests and riots broke out across the United States in response to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has said that he will sign the bill into law once he receives it, the Denver Post reported.
Senate Bill 217 – the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Bill – calls for multiple dramatic changes to the manner in which policing is conducted across the state.
Under the new law, every officer in the state will wear a bodycam by July of 2023, and bodycams are required to be activated whenever officers respond to a call, the Denver Post reported.
Failure to activate the camera could result in criminal liability or other penalties.
The law also creates timelines for the release of bodycam footage to the public.
SB 217 also requires officers to intervene if they see another officer using excessive force or face a class 1 misdemeanor or greater charge, according to the Denver Post.
The new law also removed qualified immunity protections for police officers, meaning that individual cops can be sued for actions taken in the course of doing their jobs that may violate an individual’s civil rights.
If a police department determines that an officer acted in bad faith, they may hold the officer accountable for up to 5% or $25,000, whichever is less, of the settlement or judgement collected by a plaintiff, the Denver Post reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at bluelivesmatter.blue ...
The new law also removed qualified immunity protections for police officers, meaning that individual cops can be sued for actions taken in the course of doing their jobs that may violate an individual’s civil rights.
Who would want to be a cop under these new guidelines?
Some of this stuff sounds OK (body cam regulation), but was there any discussion whatsoever of using a loser-pays legal system, to weed out the frivolous legal actions?
Otherwise, for all I know, CO could become a statewide version of the current Atlanta dumpster fire, with all the Blue Flu going around down there.
“The new law also removed qualified immunity protections for police officers, meaning that individual cops can be sued for actions taken in the course of doing their jobs that may violate an individual’s civil rights.”
This is not a change. Unless the state law did not follow federal law. Under federal law cops can already be held liable if it is found they have violated an individual’s civil rights. The “civil rights” being the important part. That is not as easy to prove as some might think.
The Communists (BLM and antifa) will get their defunding of police.
Time for some 2A Personal Protective Equipment.
This is not a reform. It will gut law enforcement in Colorado.
Also, keep in mind that if this is a civil complaint against the cop, then a unanimous jury verdict is not required. Only a majority of jurors need vote to convict, as it were. We can expect that any body cam footage will not serve as any sort of Defense for these cases, as well. As long as the jury is sympathetic to the arrestee the cop is always going to lose.
Who would ever enforce the law under this? Lock and load brothers because you are the only thing Standing between your family and the big bad wolf.
Cops can be sued. Who the hell would take that job now? They’ll be sued a hundred times a year each
Probably going to be a dire shortage of police in Colorado. Neighboring states should start recruiting right away to get the good ones.
Exactly.
This is just a way to destroy police departments.
It’s all a coordinated attack on this nation.
So this is all like the Patriot Act after 9/11 again?
Quick rush liberty destroying legislation through all the government agencies after a chaotic event because we MUST DO SOMETHING
Correct!
If played correctly could being Colorado back to the light.
Time to call in sick!
Hence, LOSER PAYS!!! I’m not sure there are many activists who will keep going at it if their wallets are routinely being reamed via adverse court decisions.
“Who would want to be a cop under these new guidelines? “
RoboCop?
Colorado cops will only go after old white people and will let non whites get away with felonies forever.
Right, why would anyone be a cop in Colorado. I’m sure glad I dont live there.
Police all over the country are going to be looking for new jobs.
The new law also removed qualified immunity protections for police officers
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