Chicago City Hall scrambling to cover police misconduct payouts
Chicago City Hall scrambling to cover police misconduct payouts
Just one month into the year, the city already has run through well over half of the $82 million that Mayor Brandon Johnson set aside for 2025 to cover police misconduct settlements and judgments. And more than 220 lawsuits are still pending for just three ex-cops.
Police carrying insurance, like other professionals such as doctors and licensed engineers carry, would fix this problem for the city, and also improve civil rights for the citizens. Bad cops would have their insurance pay for the liability they are found for. Their insurance premiums would increase to account for their bad behavior. Bad cops would eventually not be able to afford the sky high rates from their bad behavior and not be employable as cops anymore.
I'm even fine if a city would pay for the base insurance, but any premium increases from judgments of bad behavior would be born by the officer that caused it. This way good cops aren't burdened by the actions of the bad ones.
That's not a horrible idea, but it could also be turned into "as long as you can pay your insurance premium, you have license to abuse power." Which is kind of what it already is - the city will pay the settlement, using tax dollars to do it.
Abuse of police power should carry prison time.
“as long as you can pay your insurance premium, you have license to abuse power.” Which is kind of what it already is - the city will pay the settlement, using tax dollars to do it.
Excactly, except this introduces the "as long as you can pay". With bad cops continuing to get judgments their premiums will keep increasing. At some point the "as long as you can pay" kicks in, because they can't afford to pay the insurance anymore, and they're out as cops. The great part about this is that this is in complete control of the individual cop. If they're good cops, they won't get judgments against them, their rates won't rise. They stay employed as cops.
That’s not a horrible idea, but it could also be turned into “as long as you can pay your insurance premium, you have license to abuse power.”
I don't think that carries a lot of weight considering we haven't heard of that situation with medical professionals.
I'm not sure it would work. As a licensed professional, the insurance coverage for my work is carried by my company. If I become that much of a risk, my company would fire me.
There is no way that a police union would allow their members to be fired due to insurance premiums.
I will forever stand on mandatng cops get malpractice insurance, making the city pay the "good cop" premium, and making the individual cop pay anything beyond that.
I would like the cop to pay the whole thing and the compensation for being a good cop should be worth it. Would be huge as the bystander cop would be bystanding his rates going up if he does not do something.