THE DATABASE
INCREASING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
+
The establishment of a database tracking instances of police misconduct is an essential step in ending what is known as the “wandering officer” problem: where officers fired for misconduct in one department are simply rehired elsewhere, enabling a cycle of ongoing abuse. The LEWIS Registry database, conceptualized by LEWIS Co-Founders Dr. Güez Salinas and Dr. Erroll Southers in 2020, is operated independently by the University of Southern California Safe Communities Institute as the Police Misconduct Registry (PMR). The database documents all officers who were terminated or resigned due to misconduct, including:
-
Excessive use of force
-
Corruption
-
Domestic violence
-
Sexual assault
-
Physical assault
-
Harassment
-
Perjury
-
Hate group affiliation
-
Falsifying a police report
-
Planting or destroying evidence
ABOUT THE DATABASE
LEWIS Co-Founder Dr. Erroll Southers discusses the "wandering officer" problem on NBC4.
"At a time when the world is keenly aware of the possible outcomes of police misconduct, there is an urgent need for a resource like the LEWIS Registry. It is an essential component of upholding and advancing law enforcement accountability."
-DR. ERROLL SOUTHERS, LEWIS Co-founder
"I am a proud supporter of The LEWIS Registry, a comprehensive national database providing immediate access to officer applicant screening to identify officers previously fired for misconduct. Communities must have the best-qualified individuals protecting and serving in this most vital position of public trust."
-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
