In an era marked by evolving federal oversight policies and escalating municipal liability exposure, law enforcement agencies face a critical juncture: await external intervention or pursue meaningful self-regulation. This presentation examines the latter approach through the lens of the Constitutional Policing Unit—an internal structure designed to conduct systematic reviews of departmental policies, practices, and patterns before deficiencies manifest as adverse litigation outcomes or federal intervention. Drawing upon direct experience in the design and implementation of such a unit within a major metropolitan police department, Dr. Alex del Carmen and Chief Eddie Garcia will address the theoretical and practical foundations of this model, including organizational architecture, review methodology development, subject selection criteria, and the integration of empirical analysis into operational decision-making. The session will further explore how such units can serve as mechanisms for demonstrating institutional commitment to constitutional compliance, thereby reducing liability exposure while fostering public confidence in law enforcement governance.

Presented by The Federal Bar Association and Advancing the Legal Profession.

Key topics to be discussed:

• The strategic rationale for proactive constitutional policing initiatives
• Organizational design and staffing considerations for a Constitutional Policing Unit
• Development of review methodologies and subject selection criteria
• Integration of empirical analysis into policy evaluation
• Liability reduction through systematic identification of high-risk practices
• Transparency mechanisms and public accountability reporting

Date / Time: February 12, 2026

• 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern
• 11:00 am – 12:000 pm Central
• 10:00 am – 11:00 am Mountain
• 9:00 am – 10:00 am Pacific

Closed-captioning available