4 ms·

Reforming America’s police is a necessary but painful process

3 points by prostoalex 6y ago

blisterpeanuts 6y ago
Body cams, more training, and weed out the the few idiots who give all cops a bad name. Put more cops on the sidewalks, walking the beat, getting to know the community. Beyond that, Americans need to decide whether they want safe, orderly streets, or a free wheeling semi-anarchy. Reining in the police, cutting budgets, calling for the abolition of prisons: this is lunacy. A permissive, forgiving, compassionate approach was tried in the 1970s and it failed miserably.
- ddingus 6y ago
  Right now the dominant doctrine is escalation of force to compliance. This being the primary tool, coupled with aggressive liability management is why there are so many harmful outcomes. Training in deescalation techniques as well as more options to hand off problems that are not serious crimes, or are maybe violations, to entities much better equipped to handle them than the criminal justice system is would do us a lot of good. Escalation is also amplified by militarization. Lots of money there. Maybe there shouldn't be, or it is allocated differently. No one is seriously debating a lack of police. A primary goal of defund efforts appears to be getting at the means of control and incentives that have brought us here. Further, the longer we stay here, ahem, escalating? Abolitionists garner a stronger case and support. I do not agree with the harder, extreme stance out there, but I also completely understand how compelling it can be. This, so far, has continued to be escalated. I get it. Admitting failure equates to weakness and loss of legitimacy, but isn't that happening on a large scale anyway? Police need more options same as ordinary people do. Those can be found by having a real conversation, and that starts by deescalation all around.
onecommentman 6y ago
The Economist magazine, based in the UK and focusing on economic and global political issues, is probably not the first place I’d go to look for relevant insights on local policing practices in the US. We never see links to professional trade publications or to coherent advocacy groups on either side of the debate. They might actually know and be able to contribute something. That said, erring on the side of supporting public servants serving the public seems like common sense. No mention of the military to police career track in the article. There are many good things about those who served in the military moving into a local policing function...discipline, valor, sacrifice, loyalty, the basic martial values. But the military trains for a “we” v. “they” mentality deeply drilled into the minds of those who serve. When “they” are actively trying to kill you, that’s a very wise thing to do. Undrilling that into a “we” vs. offending “we” mindset that local police must internalize takes some time and effort, but must pay dividends in the long run...
- blisterpeanuts 6y ago
  You make many excellent points. I would just comment that while the military absolutely trains to take out the enemy, they also are taught to win the peace, forging relationships with the civilian population, helping with humanitarian efforts and rebuilding.

3 points by prostoalex 6y ago

Body cams, more training, and weed out the the few idiots who give all cops a bad name. Put more cops on the sidewalks, walking the beat, getting to know the community. Beyond that, Americans need to decide whether they want safe, orderly streets, or a free wheeling semi-anarchy. Reining in the police, cutting budgets, calling for the abolition of prisons: this is lunacy. A permissive, forgiving, compassionate approach was tried in the 1970s and it failed miserably.

ddingus 6y ago
Right now the dominant doctrine is escalation of force to compliance. This being the primary tool, coupled with aggressive liability management is why there are so many harmful outcomes. Training in deescalation techniques as well as more options to hand off problems that are not serious crimes, or are maybe violations, to entities much better equipped to handle them than the criminal justice system is would do us a lot of good. Escalation is also amplified by militarization. Lots of money there. Maybe there shouldn't be, or it is allocated differently. No one is seriously debating a lack of police. A primary goal of defund efforts appears to be getting at the means of control and incentives that have brought us here. Further, the longer we stay here, ahem, escalating? Abolitionists garner a stronger case and support. I do not agree with the harder, extreme stance out there, but I also completely understand how compelling it can be. This, so far, has continued to be escalated. I get it. Admitting failure equates to weakness and loss of legitimacy, but isn't that happening on a large scale anyway? Police need more options same as ordinary people do. Those can be found by having a real conversation, and that starts by deescalation all around.

onecommentman 6y ago

The Economist magazine, based in the UK and focusing on economic and global political issues, is probably not the first place I’d go to look for relevant insights on local policing practices in the US. We never see links to professional trade publications or to coherent advocacy groups on either side of the debate. They might actually know and be able to contribute something. That said, erring on the side of supporting public servants serving the public seems like common sense. No mention of the military to police career track in the article. There are many good things about those who served in the military moving into a local policing function...discipline, valor, sacrifice, loyalty, the basic martial values. But the military trains for a “we” v. “they” mentality deeply drilled into the minds of those who serve. When “they” are actively trying to kill you, that’s a very wise thing to do. Undrilling that into a “we” vs. offending “we” mindset that local police must internalize takes some time and effort, but must pay dividends in the long run...

blisterpeanuts 6y ago
You make many excellent points. I would just comment that while the military absolutely trains to take out the enemy, they also are taught to win the peace, forging relationships with the civilian population, helping with humanitarian efforts and rebuilding.