[ONLINE] - Technology, Policing, and Earning the Public Trust

The Technology, Law & Security Program, in partnership with the Criminal Justice Practice & Policy Institute at the American University Washington College of Law, American Constitution Society Washington College of Law Chapter, the Journal of National Security Law and Policy at Georgetown University, and Future Tense, is pleased to announce the capstone event to its joint Power, Policing and Tech project.

The tragic killing of George Floyd and the subsequent wave of mass protests once again brought to the fore deep-seated concerns about policing, unnecessary and disproportionate uses of force, and unequal justice. Calls for police reform implicate important questions about the role technology can and should play in achieving better policing outcomes. Already, bodycams and cell phone videos have provided an unprecedented window into police interactions with the public, at times exposing acts of police violence. While technology will not, in and of itself, resolve the myriad, complex underlying problems, it can, and likely will be called on to play a role. This panel will address whether, and if so how technology can help enhance accountability, ensure equal protection of the law, and support the building of law enforcement and prosecutorial practices that earn public trust. How, can, and should technology be employed to empower citizens, expose injustices, support fair investigations and accountability, and restructure policing (including alternatives to traditional police forces) and the broader criminal justice system in constructive ways?

The Symposium will highlight the authors who responded to the project’s call for papers, and will feature a panel of leading experts who will address these profoundly important questions.

Speakers:

Tracey Meares, @mearest
Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law and Founding Director of The Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School

Arthur Rizer, @arthurrizer
Director, Criminal Justice & Civil Liberties and Resident Senior Fellow, R Street Institute

Bennett Capers, @BennettCapers
Professor of Law and Director of Center on Race, Law & Justice, Fordham Law School

Dr. Rashall Brackney, @chiefb_cvillepd
Chief of Police, Charlottesville, Virginia

Moderator:

Jack Goldsmith, @jacklgoldsmith
Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Law, Harvard University

This is a partnered event with the Technology, Law & Security Program and Criminal Justice Practice & Policy Institute at the American University Washington College of Law, the American Constitution Society Washington College of Law Chapter, and the Journal of National Security Law and Policy at Georgetown University.

Follow the conversation online using #PowerPoliceTech and by following @FutureTenseNow, @techlawsec, @wclcrimjustice, @acslaw and @NatSecLaw.