SB 216, The Special Prosecutor Bill, named the Investigation and Review of Deaths Involving Law Enforcement Officers, was introduced to our legislature this week.This bill echoes part of the Michael Brown Over-Policed Rights Act. The MBOPRA is the bill which Support the Dream Defenders (STDDs) crowd-sourced at Daily Kos last fall. That law has been subsequently promoted by both the NAACP and the ACLU. Congressman G. K. Butterfield, the recently elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the number one priority of that group this year is to focus on relations between police and African Americans. He added that he was very concerned about this issue, given recent tragic developments.SB 216 requires that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) operate investigations in all law enforcement shootings that results in a death. It prevents local agencies from investigating themselves in shootings where someone is killed. It requires that if fault is found, the Attorney General will prosecute the case himself or herself or assign a special prosecutor to prevent any conflicts of interest from arising. This will remove the impression of bias that families currently experience with local district attorneys investigating the cases.
This law will ensure a common-sense approach to law enforcement and provide many families relief in knowing that their loved one's death was not in vain.