Waiting for Answers

By Bob Herbert
The New York Times

"...The interests of the larger community can be served only when problematic police shootings are thoroughly and fairly investigated by objective, impartial and independent investigators. The police have shown over many years that they are not up to this important task, and neither are the district attorneys. This is why so few cops have been brought to justice over the years in cases of blatant police misconduct and brutality.

There is an inherent and apparently insurmountable conflict of interest at work when district attorneys investigate cases of alleged police brutality. It%u2019s time for New York to face up to this. It's time to establish a truly independent office -- perhaps a special state prosecutor, or a permanent, fully staffed independent office at the district attorney's level -- to investigate this type of police misconduct....."

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Photo credit: Bob Herbert. (The New York Times)

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