Quantifying is hard but I figure about 90% of the problems with cops can be addressed by eliminating high speed chases and making carrying lethal or severe non-lethal (eg Taser) force a specialized subset of cops with extremely high training and accountability standards.
Community review boards help a lot, too. It doesn’t take much, to your point.
The problem with cops (and those problems are much worse and more widespread than most people understand) can be summed up in one word - accountability. As in, there’s essentially none. And there never will be on a meaningful scale. So, there’s not much any of us can do but talk about it.
Nah, more like DQing the candidates whose chief qualification is wanting to be a cop in the first place.
Just need people that put their (xyz dem aligned position/group) before their chudness. Gay cops, etc.
You cannot have (or will not have because nobody would be crazy enough to be a cop) a society armed to its eye teeth & send peace officers out there empty handed. They’re already scared which is why they have itchy trigger fingers + escalate encounters more often than not. They’re terrified
Removing the requirement of a 4-year degree was a MASSIVE mistake.
Ending qualified immunity and making departments carry their own liability insurance to pay for their brutality settlements
Police offers used to wear a clearly defined uniform and a badge and maintained a firearm. We were taught as kids they were there to help society, a noble aim. Then police depts started buying 2nd hand military equipment and vehicles for reasons. Lotta trust lost. We serve them now it seems.
Officers
Imagine getting pulled over due to slightly tainted rear windows without the threat of getting shot as soon as you lift a finger off your steering wheel.
Perhaps eliminate misdemeanor crime while we're at it. Like driving with a broken taillight
Spoken like a true Canadian
Sure, in a country with 300 million guns they're gonna prohibit cops from carrying guns. 🤦♂️
probably more than like 4 weeks of training is a good start
Tbh it’s 2nd amendment and how the current SC handles it. The stories of some sheriff serving a chud child support and getting blasted are insane. We need weapon buybacks like AUS did after their mass shooting. I’d also like cops to be liable when they don’t do shit like enforce restraining orders
Im lowering my expectations pretty massively but yeah, everyone being less armed is a good idea
I think reworking what the “job” of a cop needs to be done. Basically more of a ems guy and less of a guy who gets to wildly shoot people like Yosemite Sam
Hey no issues with that from me. Like split off all the functions into investigation, civil administration via social workers, and remaining cop stuff is probably how i would do it. In canada, try to do like anything that needs swat with the army
I think the UK has like the long rifle style shit locked in their patrol car trunk and need authorization to use em (MET)
This seems like a good move in that direction bsky.app/profile/phas...
In fairness, I think that most mainstream defund proposals are advocating for just that with the extra step of transferring non-police activities to a different administrative body, which in turn would weaken the base of political and social power that bad cops exploit
• Increase pay (attract higher-quality candidates) • Limit hours (tired cops make mistakes) • Increase number of cops to account for limited hours • Require good standing with Bar Association (or equivalent), as with lawyers & judges
I think part of it is that many times they are asked to do stuff like clearing homeless encampments, responding to low level retail and property crime, mental health incidents etc which are mostly poverty crimes and the only real tool they have is jail.
As they do, re armed officers, in the UK
No it is racism.
I mean, at that point I think you go a step further, and replace large swatches of cops with health and wellness professionals because even if you accept cops are good, what is the difference between a cop with no weapon responding to a mental health emergency and some rando off the street?
Start with making all settlements come from the Union fund. Watch everyone suddenly fall into line
Or work 10x as hard to cover shit up
The only job in America where an employee is allowed to take encounters PERSONALLY, & act out in anger and violence. The behavior wouldn’t be accepted anywhere else. Sadistic men are drawn to the profession. Screen better. Reform interactions standards. Cops have un-American super-citizen rights.