Live data from Hacker News

De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

fivethirtyeight.com

1–10 of 799 posts

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#3
Yes, but police are functionally just wannabe soldiers, without the actual training.

They want to beat people up.

They want to be tough guys who have no consequences.

Talking about how to fix policing means nothing until:

* police go to jail

* officers who do not report other officers go to jail

* bosses/chiefs etc who are aware of abuses of power and brutality and do not arrest those officers go to jail

* police are tested regularly to ensure they actually know the law, and psychologically tested to ensure that they can still be safely an officer

* restrictions on officer IQ are made illegal

* police union members who are aware of misconduct and fail to report it go to jail

* all lawsuits are settled with funds from police pension funds

* dismissal or jail due to misbehavior bans the former officer from ever being part of any law enforcement, body guard, or security position.

* police officers are required to get malpractice insurance. The tax payer should not be paying for criminal behavior.

Talking about training when the entire police system is designed to ensure police have no culpability is pointless.

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#4
Of course it does. But politicians who ramp up the rhetoric and threaten to have people killed does not. Flint and Camden and other cities where the police sat down or walked with the protestors have no issues. People connecting to people with understanding rarely results in violence.

I think places where the police still walk a beat (or other regular outreach over a wide area) and get to know the locals rarely have issues with regular people. But cities don't want to spend that kind of money on these things as they would rather not tax people to pay for it. Yet it's an investment in cities' future; otherwise you wind up with this.

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#5
post #3

Yes, but police are functionally just wannabe soldiers, without the actual training. They want to beat people up. They want to be tough guys who have no consequences. Talking about how to fix policing means nothing until: * police go to jail * officers who do not report other officers go to jail * bosses/chiefs etc who are aware of abuses of power and brutality and do not arrest those officers go to jail * police are…

What’s striking to me is the stark differences in policing with the US vs other common law/Anglosphere countries, where policing is by consent.

I guess the other countries were still much more under British influence during the formation of policing?

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#6
"Of course, as Gillham pointed out, negotiating and managing a protest can’t really work if the protest wasn’t organized ahead of time. That goes double, he said, if the topic of the protest is police brutality. It’s hard to negotiate with someone about the best way to demand they be fired."

This point is important. The police can't police themselves, and for a lasting solution to this problem to emerge there'll have to be major structural changes to the way police oversight and review is carried out.

I hope these protests are a turning point that'll lead to such reforms, but I suspect no significant changes will occur. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong.

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#8
post #3

Yes, but police are functionally just wannabe soldiers, without the actual training. They want to beat people up. They want to be tough guys who have no consequences. Talking about how to fix policing means nothing until: * police go to jail * officers who do not report other officers go to jail * bosses/chiefs etc who are aware of abuses of power and brutality and do not arrest those officers go to jail * police are…

What’s striking to me is the stark differences in policing with the US vs other common law/Anglosphere countries, where policing is by consent. I guess the other countries were still much more under British influence during the formation of policing?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#9
post #3

Yes, but police are functionally just wannabe soldiers, without the actual training. They want to beat people up. They want to be tough guys who have no consequences. Talking about how to fix policing means nothing until: * police go to jail * officers who do not report other officers go to jail * bosses/chiefs etc who are aware of abuses of power and brutality and do not arrest those officers go to jail * police are…

Sorry, your comment might make some good points but you lost me, your reader, when you made absolute claims about police officers.

There certainly exist police that just want to be tough guys and beat people up. But there’s plenty officers not like that.

You detract from your other points by taking such a black and white stance.

Re: De-Escalation Keeps Protesters and Police Safer

#10
Folks - don't be obtuse. Police commanders know exactly what will happen when they escalate with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Pro-police forces WANT mayhem. It makes people watching on TV afraid of the protests, and it changes the subject away from the widespread peaceful opposition to racist police violence.

Post reply on HN