Attorney Slams “Police Investigating Police”

Who should investigate police-involved shootings? It’s a question an attorney wants authorities to think more about.

As it stands, the same police unit that investigates essentially all serious categories of crime also takes responsibility for investigating officers when they use deadly force.

Defense Attorney Christina Galanos believes that the practice of police investigating police-involved shootings is flawed.

Police involved shootings have come under heightened scrutiny, with members of the public expressing outrage at some recent incidents.

According to Commissioner of Police Paul Role, the Criminal Investigation Department is responsible for taking statements and gathering evidence when a police officer shoots somebody. That file is then handed over to Her Majesty’s coroner. However, the process has led many to describe it as “police investigating police”.

Commissioner Rolle points out that if a CID officer is responsible for shooting somebody, a team of officers from outside of CID, or a senior officer, takes charge of the investigation. However, Galanos describes what she thinks is a more fair approach. “An independent body that will come in in those circumstances, interview the police officers involved, collecting the evidence involved…” She believes this independent body should be responsible for submitting the coroners inquest.