Or just demilitarize the whole thing... and hire good psychologists for the anger issues... and solve the whole racism thing.... Yeah it's probably cheaper and faster to create a new police force.
At least where I live, I know that the police are horribly overworked and underpaid. It's no wonder you end up with so many abuses when your pay is competitive with fast food workers. I know there are lots of good police out there who generally want to help. I think a great start would be to raise police pay in order to actually make it a competitive field. When you have good applicants, it means you can let the shitty police officers you've been holding on desk duty go. If you don't, sooner or later, one of them will end up in the field. Then you have headlines.
It's by no means a comprehensive solution, and as you mentioned, I think demilitarization is a huge part of that. Our police forces don't need grenade launchers, or tanks, or any other military 'toys'. We should have trained officers working their hardest to deescalate situations and to avoid violence unless lives are at risk.
Racism is the other part of this equation, and that's a tougher nut to crack.
Or just demilitarize the whole thing... and hire good psychologists for the anger issues... and solve the whole racism thing.... Yeah it's probably cheaper and faster to create a new police force.
At least where I live, I know that the police are horribly overworked and underpaid. It's no wonder you end up with so many abuses when your pay is competitive with fast food workers. I know there are lots of good police out there who generally want to help. I think a great start would be to raise police pay in order to actually make it a competitive field. When you have good applicants, it means you can let the shitty police officers you've been holding on desk duty go. If you don't, sooner or later, one of them will end up in the field. Then you have headlines.
It's by no means a comprehensive solution, and as you mentioned, I think demilitarization is a huge part of that. Our police forces don't need grenade launchers, or tanks, or any other military 'toys'. We should have trained officers working their hardest to deescalate situations and to avoid violence unless lives are at risk.
Racism is the other part of this equation, and that's a tougher nut to crack.
"solve the whole racism thing"
I'm waiting
Any century now.