Donald Trump has signed an executive order eliminating the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, a federal registry created in response to George Floyd’s death to track police misconduct. The database, launched in 2023 under Joe Biden, listed nearly 150,000 officers who had been disciplined or fired for misconduct.
The Trump administration defended the decision by arguing that the database “embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government.” Critics argue that the move removes a key tool meant to prevent officers with histories of misconduct from being rehired by different departments.
Thomas Abt, director of the Violence Reduction Center at the University of Maryland, told The Washington Post, “Everyone, cops and communities alike, has an interest in keeping officers with histories of serious misconduct from rejoining the profession.” Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, added, “Trump has made clear through actions such as this that he doesn’t think law enforcement accountability advances public safety.”
While Trump initially supported the idea of a misconduct registry during his first term, his recent rollback of Biden’s executive order marks a shift in his approach to police reform. The decision has reignited debate over law enforcement oversight and public safety.
