Police Reform

“Why police reform is so hard?”  This is the content of a essay from The Conversation website (http://theconversation.com).  It is akin to the old chestnut, “Are you still beating your wife?”  The very statement assumes the conclusion.  In the police case, the statement assumes the police need reforming, and that it is not only difficult but nearly impossible.  Always, we see more training is the prescription to correct these egregious offenses.

What has happened is that police now live on the defensive.  Pro-active policing is feared by the probability of racist accusations. Crowd control is diminished by the probability of being charged with brutality.  Domestic disturbance interventions are diminished by the possibility of  excessive force charges.  The perpetrators make their charges with the simple goal of making their case tried in the press – usually against law enforcement.   The result is always that more sensitivity training is needed.

Police, from the onset of any nonviolent or even semi-violent movement, take a defensive stance, giving ground, backing down, and going underground for many social demonstrations, domestic disputes, and downright robberies.  Tactics have changed. Chasing violators pertaining to anything concerning race and social issues is diminished. The focus now is upon traffic violations of all flavors.  While this no doubt has merit, much could substantially be monitored by far less expensive roadway technology.

Police commissioners, like school superintendents, live at the vagaries and perceptions of the voters.  They obey.

The police have become traffic cops.  Expect more speeding, tail-light out, smog emissions, and other statute or code violations.  Safety for them.