Use of Force

Followup.docx

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Follow-up

The father of modern policing, Sir Robert Peel, believed that police required moral legitimacy sourced from the “affection and cooperation of the public.” Volunteer ‘night watchmen’ and later, paid ‘constables’ were typically from the local community. These officers had long-standing personal relationships with the people they served. Intimacy reinforced by walking beats allowed police to become a known go to resource in the community.

Unfortunately, too much of modern policing has shifted away from this model. While the technology innovation of the two-way radio, 9-1-1 dispatch and patrol cars help police do their jobs over a much larger coverage area, it is also true that those innovations have further isolated police from communities they serve. The future of policing may just need to have police agencies focus heavily on three reforms: 1) connect more officers to the local communities they serve; 2) ensure a diverse force that reflect their communities; 3) leverage technology that connect police to communities. When police agencies blend technology with a community focus, amazing things can happen.

With new technologies emerging all the time and a new normal when it comes to funding, how should the police proceed?