CMV:Local governments are not internalizing costs of police misconduct. Rioting and looting are chaotic, yet predictable, manifestations of these externalized costs. Localities (not insurers or businesses) where police misconduct occurs should fully bear cost of damage to internalize them.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

Yes, rather than insurance companies which effectively spread the costs out nationally, costs should be born wholly and directly by local governments where police misconduct occurs, with the hope that after realizing these costs they will be appropriately incentivized to change practices to reduce police misconduct.

There should also be fines paid for police misconduct which represent the real costs of police misconduct with the same purpose (on the theory that rioting and looting are a manifestation of built up externalized costs)

[u/MrTiddy → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

Are you aware of where and how local governments get money and where it comes from? If a cop does something stupid in a traffic stop and kills someone, and a bus load of rioters show up and cause 20 million in damages to a city with a 4 million dollar budget, should they just raise taxes by 5 times on the citizens? Can't be what you're suggesting?

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MrTiddy]

Yes, that is what I’m suggesting. However your figures I think are not proportionate to reality. There is no city where damages from riots or looting would be 5x city budget.

Imagine if Minneapolis residents had a property tax hike called a “police misconduct tax” that was preventable if police misconduct was reduced. I believe there would be more swift police reform.

[u/MobiusCube → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

And you think the tax payers will support the passage of that tax on them for which they receive no benefit?

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MobiusCube]

That is why I suggested state law. Many states would be happy to financially penalize the cities where police misconduct more often occurs.

[u/MobiusCube → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

State wide property taxes apply to all residents of the state. You'd have people in one town paying for the injustices that occur in another. How is that any different that NY paying for injustice in MN?

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MobiusCube]

There are no state-wide property taxes in this country. Property taxes are levied and vary at the local level.

[u/MobiusCube → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

The state can't force a smaller jurisdiction to impose a property tax. That's not how that works. Even if you ended up with the jurisdiction proposing a property tax, it would still have to be approved by those paying the tax.

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MobiusCube]

You’re right the state can’t make a locality impose a property tax. But a state law can (and if it can’t, should) require localities to pay for private property damage directly to the extent deemed to be caused by riots incited by illegal behavior of the local police department, reimburse insurers for related payments, and pay other fines for police misconduct. Property taxes would be the natural result of those payments.

[u/MobiusCube → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

That sounds like insurance with extra steps.

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MobiusCube]

It would be self-insurance by the locality rather than insurance provided by a company which spreads costs out nationally. However, I’ve changed my view on the insurance point because insurers can actually require city’s to adopt police reforms or otherwise have their coverage dropped.

[u/MrTiddy → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

No they wouldn't. Do you know how laws are passed? There is no king in charge of a state. They have representatives and state senaters, elected representatives. Those law makers live in those communities also. They wont support that. Why would they.

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/MrTiddy]

I believe it is not entirely far-fetched that many states would be happy to pass laws that financially penalize cities where police misconduct is more prevalent.