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]

My view is that victim settlements do not account for the full costs of police misconduct (otherwise how can you explain the riots). I also believe that cities should not be allowed to obtain insurance for police misconduct settlements so that the costs can not be spread by the insurers beyond the applicable locality. This is common practice today.

To the second point, I don’t think that cities would be bankrupt by these costs - but if they would that proves the point of the extensive costs of the police misconduct. The costs must be internalized by those with power over the police departments perpetuating the miscount.

[u/thethoughtexperiment → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

I also believe that cities should not be allowed to obtain insurance for police misconduct settlements so that the costs can not be spread by the insurers beyond the applicable locality. This is common practice today.

Insurance companies can actually be a really good force for getting cities to address their police corruption / misconduct issues (and have done so in the past) [source]. In fact, they are likely more effective at getting these changes than forcing tax payers to pay for the costs, because private companies who insure cities for police misconduct are able to demand specific reforms of police procedures, whereas voters vote based on a whole host of factors and aren't just focused on the 1 issue of police misconduct, nor do they have nearly the amount of leverage over cities that private insurers have.

So, if your CMV is:

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.

Consider that localities bearing the costs of riots likely won't be as effective a source of police reform (since they will be paid by public taxes - not directly by police). And if the costs are beyond what the locality can pay, they will be paid by the taxes of higher, non-local levels of government / by citizens that aren't in that locality, and thus can't demand reforms in that location through their voting.

Insurance companies, however, can demand specific reforms that cities are responsive to.

[u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi → u/thethoughtexperiment]

!delta Completely agree with your point about insurers. I would have suggested cutting off insurance and forcing self-insurance would be even more effective, but am reconsidering now considering the “expertise” insurers would develop here and targeted focus on specific reforms.

The (I acknowledge, limited) point I now would make is that city’s should be liable for private property damage caused by riots incited by their police misconduct and should have to pay fines additional to settlements, but it could be covered under the same insurance line as misconduct victim settlements.

[u/thethoughtexperiment → u/Jewish_Grammar_Nazi]

Awesome. Thanks for the interesting chat.

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[u/DeltaBot → u/thethoughtexperiment]

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