LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM

While a great many of the individuals serving in law enforcement in the United States are good people, there are enough bad actors to give many agencies a bad name. I am coming from a limited experience base, but in dealing with organizations, it’s the people at the top that set the overall tone and if the department is acting badly, enable the bad actors. Top management in various law enforcement agencies should be tasked with equal distribution of justice among all groups, regardless of race, religion, etc.

There should be more thorough psychological testing to weed out poor applicants. The Federal government should fund a thorough evaluation and psychological test of all existing law enforcement officers at both the local and national level to weed out those with violent tendencies and white supremacist leanings.  Officers with multiple complaints in their file for violence or other unacceptable activity should be disciplined or terminated. Officers who just stand by and watch while their partners commit acts of violence should be held accountable. Officers found complicit in civil unrest should be immediately disciplined and/or dismissed. The limited immunity laws need to be addressed and changed if needed to hold officers accountable for intentional acts. If it becomes more apparent bad actions will have consequences, actions will become more in line with what is acceptable. There should be increased training in social skills and hiring of trained social workers to handle non-violent situations. Body cams should be worn by all officers while on duty and it should be a terminatable offence to intentionally turn them off during the performance of duties.

As a society, we need to make law enforcement a welcome addition, not something that various segments of society actually need to fear.