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Article: Police-defendants: Surviving a civil suit
- Article from:
- FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
- Article date:
- February 1, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation Feb/Mar 1996. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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With all the problems police officers confront daily, they also must contend with the possibility of being named as a defendant in a civil suit. Each year, citizens file an estimated 30,000 civil suits against the police, charging individual officers with negligence or as a party in the liability.' Indeed, today's litigious society serves as a haunting reminder to officers that decisions they make on the job could result in career-threatening civil action.
While law enforcement professionals strive to minimize liability risks, they cannot anticipate every action that could precipitate a lawsuit. Yet, despite solid training and conscientious efforts to exercise proper judgment, one fact ...