Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> I am anxious however to learn more on the subject if you can provide additional evidence that legally the role of the US Federal government is to act as an oversight body for the states.

The Federal government has the power to apply consent decrees to specific police departments when those departments are found to have used force excessively, per the 1994 Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act[0]. This essentially opens police departments up to lawsuits if they exhibit a pattern of bad behavior. In fact, this law explicitly requires DOJ to issue an annual report on "the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers", although they haven’t.

0: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_Crime_Control_and_La...



Also keep in mind that a lot of these agencies receive federal funding.

Even if they don't have a legal right to do oversight, they can simply say you comply with this or you don't get federal money.




Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: