New U.S. database tracks misconduct by law enforcement officers

The U.S. Justice Department announced the launch on Monday of a national database to document misconduct by federal law enforcement officers.

"This database will ensure that records of serious misconduct by federal law enforcement officers are readily available to agencies considering hiring those officers," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

"Protecting public safety depends on trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve."

The database, which will not be consultable by the public, will include records of misconduct for current and ex-federal law enforcement officers that took place during the previous seven years.

The wrongdoing being documented includes use of excessive force, bias, discrimination, obstruction of justice, false reports, false statements under oath and sexual misconduct.

The creation of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database is one of several steps announced by Biden in a May 2022 executive order on policing issued two years after the death of George Floyd, a Black man murdered by police in Minneapolis.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the database will give law enforcement agencies an important tool for vetting and hiring officers and strengthen efforts to build and retain trust.

For the moment, the database only includes records for the Justice Department's law enforcement officers, but it will be expanded to include the Secret Service, the Park Police and others, Justice Department officials said.

Biden said the administration is seeking to create a similar database for local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies, which make up the bulk of the police forces in the United States.

© Agence France-Presse