Can States Tackle Police Misconduct With Certification Systems?

Criminal prosecutions against police for acts of force in the line of duty are rarely successful. Two years ago this month, 25-year-old Freddie Gray died from a neck and spinal injury he sustained while under arrest in Baltimore, Maryland. Six officers were charged—with violations ranging from misconduct to what’s known as “second-degree depraved-heart murder”—but ultimately, none were convicted. The officers were permitted to handle administrative work pending an internal investigation by the Montgomery County Police in Maryland, the results of which are protected by privacy laws.

Yet despite the resulting public outrage, this outcome is not surprising. “The legal system doesn’t like second-guessing police officers, because they know the job is hard and violent and they have to keep bad guys off the streets,” a criminologist told after charges against the Baltimore police were dropped. But one proposed way