By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The Biden-Harris administration has released a new analysis showcasing the effectiveness and scope of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD), a key tool established to enhance public trust by documenting federal police misconduct. Created under President Biden’s Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, NLEAD allows federal agencies to access records of documented misconduct, enabling them to make informed decisions about hiring, promotions, and assignments.
The latest analysis reveals that all 90 federal agencies with law enforcement officers are now participating in NLEAD, contributing to a database that covers over 4,300 officers involved in more than 5,300 incidents of misconduct reported over the last seven years. With over 150,000 federal officers in service, administration officials said the database has already proved vital this year, allowing agencies to conduct thousands of checks that inform critical employment decisions. NLEAD’s use has led to numerous adverse employment outcomes, ensuring officers with misconduct histories are not placed in positions of authority that could compromise public trust.
At the same time, the administration said it has focused on extending transparency and accountability efforts to state and local law enforcement, recognizing that most policing occurs at the community level. President Biden and Vice President Harris also have continued to urge Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to ensure comprehensive reform across the country. In the interim, the administration noted on a call with reporters that it has been actively promoting the National De-Certification Index (NDI), a registry for state and local police misconduct records currently in place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
To support the adoption of the NDI, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has structured $471 million in discretionary grants that prioritize agencies actively utilizing the NDI. In addition, the DOJ has made accreditation funding available for agencies meeting federal standards, including mandatory NDI checks in officer background investigations. Further bolstering the efforts, the DOJ has provided $3 million to expand the NDI to cover misconduct types aligned with NLEAD’s standards. Since May 2023, the NDI has seen significant growth in user engagement, with the number of registered users up nearly 75%, records expanded by 85%, and query volume increased by 85%.
Biden said that through NLEAD, the federal government has set a precedent for accountability while working to ensure safer, more trustworthy communities nationwide.
“Transparency and accountability are fundamental to public trust,” Biden stated.
