A 50-state look at officer decertification for sex incidents

An Associated Press investigation into sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers in the U.S. identified some 1,000 in six years who lost their licenses for sexual assault or other sex offenses or misconduct, including possession of child pornography, voyeurism and sex on duty. The findings are based on an analysis of state records for an administrative process called decertification, but the AP found that policies regarding decertification vary widely from state to state. Forty-one states provided information, three did not, and six states and the District of Columbia said they did not decertify officers for misconduct.


Here is a summary of state actions from 2009 through 2014, including AP's tally of sex-related decertifications. The numbers do not reflect the full scope of the problem because not all incidents get reported; some states, for example, reported no officers removed for sexual misdeeds, even though the AP identified cases in court records or news reports.

In determining whether a decertification was sex-related, the AP relied mostly on the reason a state provided, but cause was not always clear. Some states gave no reason for a revoked license, or used terms such as "conduct unbecoming an officer" or "voluntary surrender" for officers the AP determined, through additional reporting, had committed sex-related crimes or misconduct.

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-ARKANSAS: The Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training decertified 116 officers, 22 for sex-related misconduct. Agencies are required to report when they fire an officer. They also can recommend decertification, which can result even when an officer is not charged with a crime.

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http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/2015/11/03/a-50-state-look-at-officer-decertification-for-sex-incidents/75080584/

NOTE: All states data is available at the link