White quoted in Patch article on police unions

November 20, 2020

Patch

Steven White

Political Science Department

Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Labor

United States

Patch

Steven White

Steven White, assistant professor of political science, says one reason it's so hard to fire a police officer, even one who appears to have broken the law, is because there are so many opportunities for the officers and their unions to appeal. These provisions are often built into the collective bargaining agreements, which makes it unlikely that there will be much in the way of reform, he says. "The language in the contracts is very much stacked toward officers and letting officers get away with things, which is not surprising," White says. "It's not surprising that police unions want it to be harder to punish officers." Read more in the Patch article, "Here's How One Honolulu Cop Got His Job Back After He Was Fired For Misconduct." 11/20/20