Reform

 Yes, there must be continuing reform of police departments. The public has high expectations for police, but really doesn’t have a good understanding of the daily demands on officers, especially in situations which may threaten their lives. The public often rejects tax increases to pay police what they are worth and to pay for quality training. News media provide extensive coverage of the worst of police behavior but only casual mention, if that, of the work of good cops.

Frequent demands for police reform are not followed by efforts to inform and reform the public that the police must deal with. We don’t do enough to build a healthy society. We must work harder to alleviate hunger, homelessness, poverty, poor education, lack of available preschool, drug use and all the root causes of crime.

Police have to deal every day with the failures of the society we create.