Prosecutor Elections and Police Accountability

• In Event: Methods to Study Accountability and Criminal Justice

Abstract

Prosecutors play an important role in holding police accountable by determining whether or not an officer has broken the law. At the same time, prosecutors and police officers work together closely, raising concern over conflicts of interest. We study the effect of prosecutor turnover on the number of deaths caused by police officers. Using data from 2,315 district attorney elections in the United States, we find that the election of a new district attorney leads to an 18% reduction in the number of deaths caused by police officers. For close elections, deaths decrease by 44% (0.3 fewer deaths per year) after a new district attorney ousts an incumbent. We observe no corresponding changes in crime rates, arrest rates, assaults on police officers, nor deaths of police officers.

Authors

• Allison Stashko, University of Utah

• Haritz Garro, Stanford University