State Attorneys General Police Accountability and Oversight Network

Almost two decades after the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department officers, demonstrators from around the country again poured into the streets. This time, they were chanting, “I can’t breathe” in response to the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. The cell phone footage of the killing captured by bystanders reignited a nationwide movement for police reform—and exposed an urgent need for more leaders to enter the arena to address a national crisis around policing.  

It was this context that propelled many state attorneys general—leaders with significant, state-wide power—to increase their efforts to hold law enforcement officers and agencies accountable for misconduct. State attorneys general across the country have responded to demands for police accountability in different ways, including by seeking legislative authority to conduct pattern or practice investigations and launching historic investigations into police departments.

The Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College launched the State Attorneys General Police Oversight and Accountability Network to bring together attorneys general, leading experts, and key stakeholders for a series of strategic convenings in response to the urgent need for state attorneys general to play a greater role in the police accountability space. The project aims to position state attorneys general to assume leading roles in police accountability and oversight, and, in so doing, to strengthen community trust in law enforcement, increase police legitimacy, and improve public safety.  

Holding officers accountable and addressing patterns and practices of police bias and discrimination are critical elements  of public safety. Through this series of publications—and our network’s ongoing initiatives—the IIP strives to make police accountability and oversight approachable and attainable for attorneys general, providing them with practical tools that are responsive to the needs of their communities and the challenges in their states.  

Our publication series is based on the many conversations that took place during the three convenings we held as part of our project. The insight gleaned from these discussions with attorneys general, attorney general staff, directly impacted family members, and prominent experts in police accountability has deeply shaped the guidelines presented in these publications.  As we cover topics like pursuing pattern or practice investigations, prosecuting individual officers for misconduct, and designing dynamic community engagement initiatives, we draw upon the vast experience, knowledge, and wisdom of our network.

We hope that our publication series will ensure that state attorneys general have the necessary information, guidance, strategies, and support to succeed in police accountability pursuits. We encourage state attorneys general across the country to step into the arena and embrace the unique contributions they can make in the police accountability space. We hope that these publications, and the network the IIP has built, will enable improved collaboration and greater aspiration in the work of state attorneys general to ensure police accountability, safety, and justice for all communities.