Out of 30,000 police officers who were decertified, the top cited reason was because of violations related to drugs and alcohol, according reporting by USA Today. The publication gathered the identities of police officers from 44 states who lost their certifications over the course of a decade. In more than 10,000 instances, states would not disclose the reason why an officer lost his or her badge.
Drugs and alcohol were the reason 4,537 police officers lost their certifications. Assaults and violence were the second most common problem, with 3,254 instances. Dishonesty was also an issue, being the documented cause of 2,777 lost certifications. In the middle of the list were theft and misconduct at 2,223 and 1,950, respectively. Sexual misconduct, with 1,950 reported instances, and official misconduct, with 409 documented cases, were at the bottom.
