zlacker

>>pseudo+(OP)
I don't know enough to agree or disagree, but to me having academics even ask questions on the ethics of their work is the most important thing; if one's work affects the real world then you can't duck responsibility for it.

>>throwa+Fe
Yes, academics should be asking questions about the ethics of their research. This is particularly when it is applied. Some of the research discussed in this article raises legitimate concerns regarding ethics that need to be addressed if it is going to be of benefit to society, and there are good reasons to believe that it can be a detriment to society regardless of how it is pursued.

That being said, I am tired of people vilifying the police and taking indiscriminate actions against them. The reality is that law enforcement performs a valuable role in society, yet it is also an institution that has serious issues to resolve. Those issues will be difficult to address with an antagonistic relationship. It creates barriers to questioning when the police are needed, what roles are better fulfilled by other institutions, and how we ensure that officers are accountable to the communities that they serve.

I suspect that it would be far more effective to place pressure on the government rather than the police simply because the scope of the problem is outside of the domain of the police. It is legislation that dictates what roles are taken by the police and which are taken up by other agencies (as well as how funding is allocated between those agencies). Legislation also determines the what and how of police accountability, which limits the consequences that officers face due to acts of negligence or malice.