May be a bit long but, there are a number of interesting links below. Please read to the end!
Another city was/is in deep doodoo being unable to secure liability insurance:
Sept. 24, 2014
SORRENTO, LOUSIANA — Criticized by some residents for not doing enough to secure liability insurance for the town’s defunct Police Department, Councilman Don Schexnaydre told the Town Council on Tuesday that he can’t find a provider because of the department’s history of lawsuit payouts, lack of current leadership and its uncertain future.
http://theadvocate.com/news/10279816-123/sorrento-still-struggling-to-find
So, that raises the questions:
How do cities paying out millions and millions of dollars annually, like New York, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Los Angeles, continue their coverage?
Are settlements paid out of the general fund and/or are they made from liability insurance coverage?
How do insurance companies justify these huge losses without any true accountability to their shareholders, to whom they owe a fiscal responsibilty?
If a corporation fails (whether through negligence or criminal intent) in its fiscal responsibility to its shareholders, can that corporation lose its corporate charter?
The astronomical amounts paid out by these cities in settlements is not a myth. And, it is certain to be problematic for many departments across the country. Therefore, I think this is the police state's Achilles Heel toward which our arrows must be aimed.
Liability Insurance - National Sheriffs' Association
http://www.sheriffs.org/content/liability-insurance
Public sector insurance services — Law enforcement liability insurance - The Travelers Indemnity Company
What Every Municipal Official Needs to Know: Risk Management and Liability
Here’s How to Force Police Accountability in Your City
September 18, 2014
Just like doctors have to carry malpractice insurance, police officers should be required to carry professional liability insurance as a condition of employment.
How this can be achieved is through an amendment to the city charter itself.
In Minneapolis, this process is already taking shape due to the efforts of Communities United Against Police Brutality and the Committee for Professional Policing.
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/force-police-accountability-city/