Today the whistleblower law firm of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto (KKC) published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) aimed at informing “insiders” who have evidence of police brutality of their right to blow the whistle. As explained in the FAQs, state, county and municipal employees who work in police departments have a First Amendment constitutional right to report violations of law and civil rights to appropriate authorities and the news media.
“Whistleblowers can play a critical role in stopping police brutality,” said Stephen M. Kohn, founding partner and whistleblower attorney at KKC. “Honest police officers who are concerned about illegal police misconduct have a constitutional right to blow the whistle on these crimes. These FAQs were drafted to help inform potential law enforcement whistleblowers as to their civil rights,” Kohn.
The FAQs link to the critical law and cases that cover police department whistleblowers, including the Civil Rights Act of 1871 and Pickering v. Board of Education. Under these laws, employees whose First Amendment rights to report government misconduct are violated can seek damages and injunctive relief in U.S. district courts.
“Stopping police brutality is a team effort. People who work for local police departments who witness violations of civil rights need to know what laws protect them, and how they can lawfully report these crimes,” Kohn added.
Read the FAQs: Rights for Police Brutality Whistleblowers
