Preventing another Eric Garner tragedy: 6 simple reforms we can implement right now

Let's make police officers accountable to prosecutors — and prosecutors accountable to the public

NYPD body camera
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan))

In the last two weeks, grand juries failed to indict the white police officers who killed Michael Brown and Eric Garner. These decisions have exposed deep-seated issues of race, class, and power that still pervade our society. We should keep protesting injustice where we see it, as thousands have done across the country. At the same time, we should also consider specific policy changes to mitigate these problems in the short term. As a public defender, I can think of six changes that would help the criminal justice system treat all lives more equally, starting now:

1. Appoint permanent independent prosecutors

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Sarah Lustbader
Sarah Lustbader is a public defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders.