8 Unique Ways Communities and Individuals Are Trying To Solve the Police Brutality Problem

The problem of police brutality, particularly towards people of color, remains one of the major problems facing the nation today.

While some pro-police groups have opposed changes to the current system, a large majority of Americans recognize that police reform is urgently needed in this country.

Just defusing the police or dismantling programs is not a viable solution to the problem of police brutality.

Fortunately, there are several organizations and many dedicated individuals out there who can find answers to this problem. Find solutions that make the most sense and that can redefine the role of the police in the community.

1. Use data

One of the most important ways to contain police brutality and change the way violence is used in law enforcement is to identify them. Data is a powerful tool in the fight against police misconduct and brutality.

Unfortunately, the federal government does not have a comprehensive data system that records the brutality and murders of the police. There are several independent clearing houses for data tracking fatal shootings across the country and other sources of information that keep a record of local incidents.

These data sources are valuable tools for identifying trends in police brutality and its impact on color communities.

2. Invest in other supports

Police brutality can also be less of a problem as communities invest in more alternative programs. In most cities, the police are called for almost any emergency or crisis.

Fatal violence is sometimes the result of a situation with a mentally ill person. Rather than using the police to deal with mental health emergencies, communities are moving towards crisis intervention teams for social services.

Using social workers to respond to such emergencies can lead to better outcomes and reduce police violence.

3. Working to demilitarize

Over the past two decades, many police forces have improved their ability to respond to mass shootings and other intense situations.

Police organizations across the country have received an incredible amount of supplies that are similar to military operations. Some armed forces now have access to a wide variety of tactical equipment, such as: B. powerful machine guns, grenade launchers, military vehicles and body armor.

There is a connection between the increasing level of militarization of the police and the number of fatal incidents. Police violence increases in cases of more militarization.

4. Adoption of laws

It is also important for communities to pass new laws aimed at providing more protection for citizens and less protection for the most violent police officers.

In many cities across the country, police officers enjoy strong protection from their unions. Law needs to be passed that will continue to protect police officers so they can do their jobs safely, but are accountable to ensure that police brutality is taken seriously.

Legislators need to work with city and union leaders to ensure that violent people are not used in the police force.

5. Support to civil rights groups

Violent police incidents can also be combated and prevented with greater support for civil rights groups such as the ACLU.

More people can help by donating to causes that raise funds for these groups, like Ashley Longshore and her work to raise funds through her art.

By raising funds and donating proceeds to various civil rights groups, people can do their part to ensure that their voices are heard and their communities change.

6. Change the police culture

Police culture in the United States is another major culprit for a large number of violent and fatal encounters between police officers and people of color.

Changing culture is a big undertaking and requires the dedication of city guides and police authorities. The police must invest in new training programs that focus more on community support and less on lethal violence and military tactics.

You also need to provide more opportunities to learn how to de-escalate situations before they turn violent. The police should also offer racial bias training to help individual officers identify negative attitudes.

7. Installation of body cams

Another important step in solving the police crisis is equipping individual officers with body cameras. Police forces with extensive use of body cameras have more accountability and transparency.

When a fatal incident happens, a body camera is there to document the situation and to neutralize exactly what happened.

8. Reorganize leadership

The last option to solve this problem is to reorganize the surveillance and investigation of the police stations. It is common for the police to investigate their own departments when there is evidence of misconduct or violent encounters.

It may be better to deal with fatal police incidents by an independent agency so that the likelihood of a fairer outcome and accountability is higher.

In order to reduce the number of fatal incidents with the police, various changes need to be made to the way the police authorities train and operate.

Together with their communities and city guides, police authorities can redefine their roles and work with people in their neighborhood to support them and keep everyone safe.

About the author:

Steve Barker is an independent blogger and content writer. He is a pharmacist and nutritionist by profession. He has extensive knowledge of healthcare. He loves sharing his thoughts with his informative pieces and connecting with the audience.