National Police Accountability Project

Policy Positions

Qualified Immunity

Opposing qualified immunity, a collective term for various state and federal restrictions on the ability of individuals to sue police officers for alleged misconduct, is one of the National Police Accountability Project’s primary efforts. One common characteristic of qualified immunity protections is that a plaintiff must demonstrate that there is existing legal precedent demonstrating that the police officer’s actions were unconstitutional. The NPAP claims that this requirement “severely undermines civil rights guarantees.” To bolster its argument against qualified immunity, the organization cites statements by radical-left groups such as the Movement for Black Lives as well as the libertarian Cato Institute. ²

In Colorado, the NPAP has endorsed the proposed District Attorney Accountability and Transparency Bill, which would place new restrictions on district attorney’s offices’ discretion when issuing charges and sentences. The organization claims that the bill will “codify” district attorneys’ “ethical duties.” ³

In Louisiana, the NPAP supported House Bill 609, which would eliminate qualified immunity and expand individuals’ ability to sue police, corrections, and other peace officers for alleged excessive force and other misconduct. As part of this initiative, the NPAP has promoted a pressure campaign organized by the libertarian organization Americans for Prosperity, which also opposes qualified immunity. ⁴

In New Mexico, the NPAP has endorsed House Bill 4, which would create a so-called “New Mexico Civil Rights Act.” Like the proposed Louisiana law, this legislation would eliminate qualified immunity and provide additional support to individuals attempting to sue law enforcement officers. ⁵

In New York, the NPAP also supports legislation to end qualified immunity. The organization supports Senate Bill 1991 and denies that passing it may “make it harder to recruit, retain, and train” competent law enforcement personnel. The NPAP claims that “there is no evidence” to suggest that individuals consider the possibility of being sued when deciding whether to become police officers. ⁶

In California, the NPAP has stated that it is “proud to support” Senate Bill 2, which would scale back qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. The organization claims that allegedly “violence-prone” police officers are responsible for creating what it calls an “unsafe culture” in the state. The NPAP has called on left-of-center student organizations, religious groups, and state bar associations across the country to join its pressure campaign in California. ⁷

Other Political Advocacy

The NPAP opposed the appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court by then-President Donald Trump in 2020. The organization called Barrett a “reactionary” and condemned the growing number of nominally conservative justices on the court, particularly their membership in the right-of-center Federalist Society. The NPAP claimed that Barrett’s nomination demonstrated that neither the Supreme Court nor any other branch of government represented Americans any longer and called on “the people” to “take control.” The organization also claimed that the court “has historically been the most reactionary” of the three branches of government, and that it is presently used “as an instrument of preserving minority rule.” ⁸

During the anti-law enforcement protests and riots of summer 2020, the NPAP issued a statement attacking police across the country for using tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and other non-lethal methods against rioters. ⁹

Leadership

Rachel Pickens is the executive director of the National Police Accountability Project. Prior to joining the organization, she promoted left-progressive environmentalist initiatives in New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her law doctorate from Loyola University in New Orleans. ¹

Lauren Bonds is the legal director of the NPAP. She previously worked as the legal director for the Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, a leading left-of-center legal activist organization. Before that, she was the assistant general counsel for the Service Employees International Union, a major labor union with strong ties to the Democratic Party and left-of-center activism. ¹

Financials

In 2019, the National Police Accountability Project received more than $160,000 in contributions and generated more than $40,000 in revenue from program services, for total revenue of $217,944. Just over $67,000 of its total expenses went towards the salary of executive director Rachel Pickens. ¹⁰