Police Liability

Police Liability: Lawsuits Against the Police provides insights and directions for police managers and trainers as they cope with liability suits filed against their agencies. The book encourages them to develop stronger and more meaningful policies, improved training, closer supervision, and more accountable discipline.

Payne provides the readers with a detailed review of general police liability followed by a detailed review of 53 actual cases litigated against the police. Actual cases are presented in the chapters "Police Use of Force," "Police Pursuits," "General Police Procedures," and "Police Procedures when Conducting Homicide Investigations." Each of these chapters includes a review of relevant literature and case law, followed by the cases in point. The 53 cases are presented in three parts: an outline of the facts, critical issues and factors involved, and the author's commentary and recommendations for the police.

The analyses presented in this book highlight strengths and weaknesses in police responses to actual incidents. Readers are provided with sufficient insights to change agency practices that lead to law suits and identify training issues to enhance police response to the focal areas covered in the book.

"Payne has presented an excellent text for both the practitioner and the academian… After reading this text, I reviewed numerous cases involving the four areas examined by Payne and found the very issues presented in the text in real cases within my agency and in several surrounding communities. It is for this reason, and the user-friendly format of the text, that I strongly recommend this book for every member of the law enforcement community. I also feel that the text would be an excellent supplement to supervision curricula, leadership training, and law enforcement courses." — William W. Johnson, Sr., Gloucester City (New Jersey) Police Department, Criminal Justice Review, Spring 2004