The National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ) wants to end qualified immunity (QI). As North Carolina’s WRAL notes, the NABCJ ‘s mission is “to achieve equal justice for Black people and other minorities.” Recently, the Durham-based organization released their Blueprint for Police Reform. The NABCJ’s blueprint contains 16 reforms. One of these reforms: Ending qualified immunity for police officers. NABCJ is a partner of the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity.
Per the NABCJ’s Blueprint for Police Reform, ending QI will provide “civil rights protections for our citizens against…excessive force.” Thus, the NABCJ believes in the value of accountability. And the NABCJ knows that we can’t have accountability with qualified immunity.
Ronald Hampton is a retired police officer. He’s also a chairman of the NABCJ. Hampton believes that good cops have a lot to gain from ending qualified immunity. The ability to hold bad cops accountable sends an important message to communities. Particularly, communities of color. As WRAL reports, according to a survey from the Bureau of Justice, “Black and Hispanic people are upwards of 2 times more likely to experience use of force by police than white people.”
This is a troubling statistic. But good cops like Ronald Hampton believe that change is possible. And that will happen once we change the culture of policing in America. This requires what Ronald Hampton of the NBACJ calls “a paradigm shift.” As Hampton tells WRAL, “We have to have a change in philosophy…In order for [good cops] to be successful in a safer community.”
And that success relies on ending qualified immunity.
View whole whole article about how NABCJ wants to end QI here.