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.
Members of Memphis’ SCORPION unit were behind the brutal beating of a suspect.
City of Memphis via AP
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
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.
Taking a peek, but probably not seeing a future career.
Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
At age 7, Black, white and Hispanic children have a similar opinion of the police. But this increasingly turns negative by the time they are teenagers, especially for nonwhite teens.
This bill would provide ‘authorised officers’ with unprecedented, extraordinary powers and rely too heavily on a punitive approach, with too few checks and balances.
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)
Research on excessive use of force by police and the sociological context and psychological characteristics of killer cops point to useful policy measures.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has issued a warning that the deliberate transmission of COVID-19 can be prosecuted. But the application of a law like this is unclear and could cause unnecessary worry.
More than 40 lynchings have been documented in Maryland.
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Kelebogile Zvobgo, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The first truth commission to research lynchings has been established in Maryland. It has the potential to educate the public about and support racial reconciliation. But it also faces obstacles.
Young people are experiencing patterns of oppressive policing that are harmful to them, their families and the community.
AAP/Dan Himbrechts