How to Build Momentum for Tracking Police Misconduct at Your Office

You know your defense office should start tracking police misconduct systematically. You've seen the problems firsthand: prosecutors claiming officers have "clean records" when you know better, Brady violations discovered too late to help your client, the same problematic officers appearing in case after case with no institutional memory of their issues.

Maybe you've already started building a tracking system whether it's a spreadsheet, database platform, or comprehensive solution like Techtivist. But having the tools is only half the battle. You need your colleagues to actually use them consistently and contribute to the collective knowledge that makes systematic tracking powerful.

The difference between a personal project that helps your cases and an office-wide practice that drives systemic change comes down to momentum.

Here's how to build it.

1. Create a Project Identity That Sticks

Branding is powerful. Give your tracking initiative a distinct name and clear identity, like "Police Accountability Project" or "Police Misconduct Registry.” Make it fun and make it fit. Create something colleagues can remember and reference easily.

Announce and celebrate the project like you would any other big initiative being started at your office. Make it clear this is now an office-wide commitment. 

Set up a dedicated project email (like accountability@youroffice.org) and train staff to send any misconduct information or questions there. This separates project management from your personal inbox and allows multiple people to handle incoming data, ensuring the system survives staff changes.

Add the database link to your email signature as a simple reminder. Ask IT to put shortcuts on desktops or your intranet homepage. The goal is making access so easy that checking officer backgrounds becomes automatic.

2. Monitor Usage and Address Gaps

Track who's actually using the system through regular usage reports. This reality check reveals which staff members are embracing the tool and which units need additional training or encouragement.

When you notice a cluster of attorneys stopped using the system, reach out directly. Maybe they hit a technical barrier, forgot about it during busy periods, or need refresher training. Address these gaps quickly before non-use becomes the norm.

3. Identify Database Champions

Every office has informal leaders—the attorneys others turn to for advice. Identify these natural influencers in each unit or practice group and make them your database representatives.

Train these champions to be system experts and first points of contact for their colleagues. They should remind teammates to check the database, help with searches, and keep eyes open for successful uses of misconduct data in court.

Check in with your champions regularly—they're your insight into what's happening on the ground. And yes, buy them coffee or beer occasionally as thanks for their extra effort.

4. Celebrate Every Win

When a colleague successfully uses database information—winning a bail hearing, getting a motion granted, or strengthening a plea negotiation—celebrate it publicly. Send office-wide emails detailing what they did and the outcome.

These success stories show others the power of systematic tracking, demonstrate creative applications they might not have considered, and create positive peer pressure to use the system.

Keep a running list of these victories. 

5. Proactive Support During Rollout

In the early phases, do database searches on behalf of attorneys who haven't adopted the system yet. Have interns sit in arraignments and search officers on new cases, then share relevant findings with assigned attorneys.

When breaking news emerges about an officer, immediately upload the information and send alerts to all attorneys with active cases involving that officer. Direct them to the database for complete information, reinforcing its value and encouraging regular use.

6. Make Information Submission Effortless

Your database is only as good as the information flowing into it. Make submission so simple that busy attorneys will actually do it consistently.

Use tools your staff already prefer. If everyone lives in email, tell them to forward anything relevant to the project address. If your office uses Slack or Teams, accept submissions there too. Avoid complicated forms or multi-step processes that create barriers.

Build misconduct checks into existing workflows. Train supervisors who review closed cases to flag relevant information. Add misconduct disclosure checks to case closure checklists. Multiple touchpoints prevent information from slipping through cracks.

7. Address Resistance Head-On

Some colleagues will resist new systems, claiming they're too busy or that their current methods work fine. Address this directly by showing, not telling, the value.

When Officer Martinez testifies in a resistant attorney's case, proactively research his background and share what you find. When that information helps their client, they'll become believers.

Focus on early adopters first—their success stories will gradually convert skeptics more effectively than any training session.

8. Sustain Long-Term Engagement

Initial enthusiasm often fades as daily pressures mount. Combat this with regular engagement activities:

• Monthly "Database Spotlight" emails highlighting interesting patterns or new discoveries

• Quarterly training refreshers for new staff and skill updates

• Annual reviews showing aggregate impact—cases won, patterns identified, systemic changes achieved

9. Measure What Matters

Track metrics that demonstrate value:

• Number of officers with documented misconduct

• Cases where database information was used

• Successful motions based on misconduct evidence

• Time saved on officer research

• Brady violations discovered and addressed

These numbers prove impact to leadership and justify continued investment in systematic tracking.

10. Learn from Experience Practitioners

Perhaps most importantly for under-resourced offices is connecting with other defender offices doing similar work.  Get in touch with other defender offices who have already built successful databases.  Experienced offices can share which data sources prove most valuable, how to structure searches efficiently,and how to present misconduct evidence persuasively to judges and juries. Whether you're using basic spreadsheets or comprehensive platforms, connecting with this community of practice accelerates your learning curve and helps you avoid common pitfalls that derail tracking efforts.

Techtivist makes this easy. All Techtivist members get access to monthly meetings with a network of defenders tracking law enforcement misconduct to learn from each other and share resources. These facilitated sessions create structured opportunities to troubleshoot challenges, celebrate wins, and develop collaborative strategies. Members also gain access to private communication channels for ongoing support and resource sharing between meetings, creating a continuous learning environment that supports nationwide systemic change.

Building the Foundation for Growth

Remember, successful misconduct tracking isn't just about having good data—it's about creating a culture where systematic accountability becomes part of how your office practices law. Start with willing participants, prove the value through wins, and gradually expand until checking officer backgrounds becomes as routine as reviewing case files.

The goal isn't just better individual case outcomes, but transforming how your office approaches police accountability and building the foundation for the systemic changes that benefit all future clients.