I hadn't realised you expanded on your initial post. I'm not one to dance around conversation as I don't have the patience so i do apologise if I did mis-read/understand at any point.
But your first and second paragraph is generally the sentiment that policing is more than the uniformed officers we see [and they are at the bottom of the policing heirachy] and that to go up the chain every officer would have had to deal with heinous crimes that the public are not always made aware of. Tbh, none of that addresses the fact that there are elements in law enforcement that allow racist murderous pricks to do their thing. Of course there are good officers at every level, but my point was that the structure itself is fecked, which you did get the jist of in the end - and you're right - it is a whole other convo. One that is completely relevant to this though.
The final paragraph is just a misundestanding as neither of us feel that we'd be better off with no law enforcement at all. It's hardly a silver lining though.
No worries, my abruptness probably didn’t help but it was more out of having to deal with other posters in here who are completely incapable of having a normal conversation on subjects like these. It’s like if you don’t possess the same extreme view of them you’re a KKK neo nazi supporter.
As for improving the state of policing, here’s some things I’d think would be realistic and achievable quite easily. A few of these things have already been adapted in the U.K.
- Adapt something similar to the ‘Rooney rule’ Put more black people into the higher positions of policing. The percentage of black people in the different American states needs to be resembled in that police force.
- Do the same with the justice system. Judges, jurors, prosecutors.
- Holding Officers to account for their actions. It is clear there is too much leniency and too much emphasis on ‘self defence’ when these Killings go to trial. It’s time to start making an example out of these officers.
- Restricted duties for poorly performing uniformed officers. If you have a dozen complaints against you with a number of those relating to race, the chances are you’re doing something wrong. Take these officers off the street indefinitely and shove them in an office.
- Bodyworn cameras. What strikes me is that somehow still in the states so many of their Officers don’t wear body worn cameras. It’s ridiculous. This is such a massive tool.
- Recruitment process. Some states you become an officer and get handed a gun in less that 4 months, what the feck is that?
Nobody joins the police and becomes racist, so they need a process implemented where they weed these people out at the recruitment phase. How they do that I don’t know but social media is a good place to start. Racists generally can’t hide, they get exposed and their beliefs are out there on the internet, the key is to find them. (See that racist Dortmund fan who got exposed in the riots thread)
- Probably the hardest one, but encourage and get more black cops. They’ve had pushes but apparently those have failed, well push harder. Go into their communities, talk to them. Let them see there’s a bigger world to policing then what appears.
For a lot of the black community it is frowned upon to join the police but the logic to it is simple. More black officers out there going to calls involving George Floyd. Less likely Officer Racist turns up instead and kills him.
Why are you randomly talking about me not recognising the klan and white supremacy when not once during the entirety of our discussion has it been mentioned or brought up.