In a fascinating paper made public earlier this month, University of Chicago law professor John Rappaport points to a powerful but unlikely resource that is quietly reforming police departments across the country: the insurance industry. Many cities take out policies, either off the private market or by pooling with other cities, to cover any damages that may result from lawsuits accusing police officers of excessive force or other misconduct. Rappaport explains how to guard against such awards, the insurers are in turn demanding, among other things, better training, better use of force policies, better screening in the hiring process, and even the firing of bad cops. Cities that comply get lower premiums, lower deductibles, and other incentives. Cities that don’t may lose coverage altogether.

Rappaport doesn’t claim that liability insurance is a panacea. Most of the country’s larger cities “self-insure,” meaning they simply pay out awards and settlements from public funds. He also delves into concerns about moral hazard, and explores potential danger areas where an insurance company’s bottom line might come into conflict with the public good.

But this isn’t a fanciful academic idea. It’s already happening, and has been for some time.

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I sent Rappaport some questions over email. Here are those questions, and his responses.

Read more at The Washington Post