Yeah, this is probably controversial but I think the police should basically be the bullet sponges for the rest of society. Right now they endanger more lives than they protect, and they’re not even particularly good at dealing with violent crime (you have better than a coin flip odds of getting away with murder in most cities). The vast majority (around 95%) of police calls don’t involve violent crime at all.
I believe most police should be unarmed. If someone attacks them, their job should be to run away and call for backup. Use body cameras to collect evidence to track violent offenders down later. And in order to be armed, an officer should have a 4-year degree that includes a whole lot of training in criminal law.
US troops operating in Kandahar had far more restrictions on use of force than US police do. And people there were actively hunting them. We treat our own citizens worse than foreign enemies, which really needs to change. A big reason for this is that the perceived “enemy” (read: black people) cannot just blend in with the rest of society because of their skin color. That’s pretty fucked up IMO.
I believe most police should be unarmed. If someone attacks them, their job should be to run away and call for backup. Use body cameras to collect evidence to track violent offenders down later. And in order to be armed, an officer should have a 4-year degree that includes a whole lot of training in criminal law.
US troops operating in Kandahar had far more restrictions on use of force than US police do. And people there were actively hunting them. We treat our own citizens worse than foreign enemies, which really needs to change. A big reason for this is that the perceived “enemy” (read: black people) cannot just blend in with the rest of society because of their skin color. That’s pretty fucked up IMO.