Policy Recommendations for Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Law Enforcement

October 22, 2021

The AAN acknowledges and is committed to pursuing bold actions to eliminate systemic inequities and discrimination in the health care system¹; however, we also recognize the systemic inequities and discrimination currently existing within law enforcement.² For example, studies indicate that Black men are disproportionately affected by police use of force compared to white men.³ And public health researchers have identified other intersections between violence by law enforcement and poor health outcomes among Black people.⁴ These are public health issues that impact our members, our patients, and the communities we serve. Therefore, in addition to AAN’s commitment to be an anti-racist organization and our efforts to promote equity and social justice in neurology and the neurosciences,⁵ the AAN endorses the policy recommendations for addressing racism and discrimination in law enforcement developed by the American College of Physicians in Section 5 of “Racism and Health in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians (included below).”²

The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with 40,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.

References:

1. Position Statement on Systemic Racism and Inequities in Society [online]. Available at: https://www.aan.com/advocacy/systemic-racism-position-statement. Accessed April 9, 2021.
2. Serchen, J., et al. (2020). “Racism and Health in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians” Annals of Internal Medicine
3. Edwards, F, Hedwig L & Esposito M Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA 116, 16793-16798 (2019)
4. Alang S, McAlpine D, McCreedy E, et al. Police brutality and black health: setting the agenda for public health scholars. Am J Public Health. 2017;107:662-665.
5. Message from AAN President: Special Commission Recommendations [online]. Available at: https://www.aan.com/AAN-Resources/Details/about-the-aan/message-from-aan-president-special-commission-recommendations/. Accessed April 9, 2021.

Section 5 of “Racism and Health in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians

5. ACP affirms that discrimination, racism, and violence in the context of law enforcement and law enforcement policies and practices that target Black individuals and other persons of color harm the physical health, mental health, and well-being of individuals and the public. Institutional and systemic law enforcement practices that enable, allow, and protect racism, discrimination, and violence undermine law enforcement officers who are dedicated to equal treatment under the law, ensuring public safety, and saving lives and undermine public confidence in justice and law enforcement. While solutions to racism and discrimination in law enforcement are complex, ACP supports the following policies as a starting point:

a. ACP supports adoption of law enforcement practices that ensure equal treatment under the law of all persons, without regard to race and other personal characteristics, and increase transparency and accountability.

b. ACP calls for research on the contributors to law enforcement violence and discrimination and the impact on the health of individuals and communities, particularly for people of color.

c. ACP calls for research on and adoption by law enforcement policies that reinforce the importance of community engagement in managing public safety.

d. ACP urges research on and adoption of best practices by law enforcement agencies to promote safety and wellness at every level of the organization, including support for officer wellness and safety.

e. ACP supports greater transparency and accountability and adoption of best practices in law enforcement, including:

i. Creating a comprehensive national database and reporting mechanism that captures all deaths caused by law enforcement, incidents of excessive use of force, and discriminatory policing practices.

ii. Requiring local police departments to report these incidents to state health departments, which will be made publicly available in a timely manner and at a local level.

iii. Monitoring and addressing misclassification of causes of death, the underreporting of victims of law enforcement violence, and the prevalence of serial offenders.

iv. Making investigations, including video evidence, of misconduct and excessive use of force by law officers available to the public.

v. Identifying and eliminating barriers that hinder the investigation and accountability of officer misconduct.

f. ACP believes funding should prioritize research on evidence-based best practices that reduce situations in which use of force is required and promote alternatives to use of force.

g. ACP believes that law enforcement authorities should be incentivized and required to incorporate best practices to eliminate excessive use of force, reevaluate use of force policies, establish parameters around reasonable force, and delineate between acceptable and excessive force, with accountability and transparency to elected officials and the public.

h. ACP supports the use of technology, such as body cameras, to assist in monitoring and enforcing use of force protocols.

i. ACP calls for research on and implementation of effective law enforcement recruitment, training, and retention programs that encourage safer, less discriminatory, and less forceful policing practices.

j. ACP believes that the inappropriate militarization of community law enforcement interactions with civilian populations should be eliminated.

k. ACP urges health care institutions and professionals to review policies and relationships with law enforcement to ensure that they align with the priority of protecting patients and staff.

Reference:

1. Serchen, J., et al. (2020). “Racism and Health in the United States: A Policy Statement From the American College of Physicians” Annals of Internal Medicine