Page 205 - North Carolina 2020 Legal Guide
P. 205
Task: Training
City of Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378 (1989).
An agency that fails to train officers for recurring tasks that law
enforcement officers face, may be liable for failing to train the
officers, where the lack of training or poor training foreseeably leads
to a constitutional violation.
Failure to Train Established where:
• Agency fails to train an officer in a subject where there is an
“obvious need” for training. i.e. firearms and deadly force.
• Agency is aware, or should be aware of a pattern of conduct by
officers, which evidences the need for training or better training to
avoid constitutional violations and the agency fails to take action on
this need.
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