On March 15, 2005, the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced a new statewide model policy for police conducting eyewitness identification procedures. The new policy, which springs from a partnership between the Remington Center and the Training and Standards Bureau of the state Department of Justice, places Wisconsin ahead of all other states in adopting the best methods for conducting eyewitness identification.
By adopting the new policy, the Department of Justice recognized that outdated methods for conducting eyewitness identification produce an unreasonable risk of wrongful conviction. The new policy implements the accumulated wisdom of years of social science research, and thereby helps ensure that the guilty, and only the guilty, are convicted.
The new policy also re-affirms the core principles of the Wisconsin Idea and Wisconsin's history as a progressive state. The partnership between the Remington Center and the Training and Standards Bureau demonstrates, once again, our common interest in bringing best practices to Wisconsin's criminal justice system.
