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Articles on Overpolicing

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Bulldozed land at the planned site of a controversial police training facility, with Atlanta in the distance. Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images

A First Amendment battle looms in Georgia, where the state is framing opposition to a police training complex as a criminal conspiracy

This isn’t the first time that US authorities have criminalized civil disobedience or framed grassroots organizing as a conspiracy.
Dwindling numbers means more inexperienced officers. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Memphis police numbers dropped by nearly a quarter in recent years – were staffing shortages a factor in the killing of Tyre Nichols?

Police departments have faced recruitment and retention problems since the 2020 George Floyd protests. It has meant some agencies have had to lower standards to attract new officers.
Another door closes on federal police reform. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Federal police reform talks have failed – but local efforts stand a better chance of success

Months of bipartisan talks in Congress aimed at reaching consensus over policing reforms have ended with no agreement. Two policing scholars argue that federal efforts are better placed focusing on supporting local measures.
Getting police and community on board with reforms is crucial for success. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

American cities have long struggled to reform their police – but isolated success stories suggest community and officer buy-in might be key

Attempts to reform US police departments fail when they are unable to get community support. Perhaps it is time to take a different tack, argue two criminal justice scholars – one a former cop.
Protesters march on June 6, 2020, in New York. Demonstrations continue across the United States in protest of racism and police brutality, sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ragan Clark)

How police departments can identify and oust killer cops

Research on excessive use of force by police and the sociological context and psychological characteristics of killer cops point to useful policy measures.

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