(WWJ) -- Local leaders show their support for police misconduct databases; but disagree on who should have access.
Only a quarter of government officials and police chiefs in Michigan feel a police misconduct database should be accessible to the public. That's according to a new survey by the University of Michigan's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy.
However, the vast majority of the 1,307 jurisdictions in the state that responded to the survey believe there should be some form of database -- with restrictions on who can access it. Support for the database is all encompassing; including Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
"People assume that law enforcement agencies want to avoid transparency, but there is definitely openness to documenting and tracking misconduct," said Debra Horner, the survey's senior program manager.
The goal is to show local municipalities how they can build trust among residents that police misconduct can be handled by that jurisdiction.