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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Do most states have a process for decertifying police officers?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

As of January 2021, most states have processes for decertifying police officers. Decertification prevents an officer from finding police employment elsewhere in a state. Only California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Rhode Island do not decertify officers at the state level.

Recently, several states have instituted or revamped decertification protocols. Massachusetts implemented decertification for officers, including those that inflict excessive force or submit false timesheets, as part of a December 2020 police reform package. Other states created decertification databases or moved to toughen their investigative procedures.

A California bill proposed in 2019 would decertify “officers who are fired for misconduct such as excessive force, sexual misconduct and dishonesty.” After passing in the state’s lower house, the bill expired before it could be voted on in the upper chamber.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Conference of State Legislatures : Law enforcement certification and discipline
Massachusetts Legislature Bill S.2963—An act relative to justice, equity and accountability in law enforcement in the Commonwealth
AP News US police registry would fail without changes in states
The Crime Report Toughening police decertification an uphill battle for states
California Legislature SB-731–Peace officers, certification, civil rights
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.