David Brooks cuts to the very heart of the matter in this article of 16 June 2020 in The Atlantic. Public opinion in the US has seen a seismic shift in its attitude toward the police and the tactics being used by police forces in carrying out their mandate. The use of force, and particular deadly force, is becoming increasingly unpopular and public opinion is reacting accordingly. The #DefundThePolice has become ubiquitous on social media, but it really is not the solution in the long term. As David points out, removing or reducing police resources will in fact have the opposite effect and likely lead to greater incidence of unnecessary use of force. The answer lies in the refocusing of police culture as well as management and operational strategies and tactics. A new approach based on Community Consent rather than police enforcement is more likely to produce the kind of police guardianship that most communities desire.
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