zlacker

What do you do with all of the people, and the entire system, that's been built and trained for a century to not do that?

I doubt many people are against the idea of a specialized government role that provides protection services.

What they are against is:

* Thinking we can get that role by reforming existing police systems, given how opposed police systems are to such reform

* That these systems need the absurd budgets of police departments

* That the role requires absurd levels of protection for violent actions

* That the role requires armaments in the majority of cases

Going form police to a role that fits those criteria is going to start with not having police.

>>static+(OP)
You fire them all and rehire the ones that are capable of being proper police officers.

>>zaarn+E
It's federal case law that the profession of policing doesn't require what you're asking.

>>zaarn+E
I don't think they'd be qualified for the job.

>>monoca+b4
Then you make it law that it becomes required.

>>static+w4
Then they don't get hired.

>>zaarn+15
I guess I'm just on the side of: if the only thing we think police should be doing is something they already legally don't have to do, achieving the goal of getting that covered is better handled by tearing the entire system down and building a new system with a new name and new members than trying to force reform on orgs that have fought it tooth and nail. The actors that have gotten rulings like Warren v. District of Columbia obviously don't want reform in this area, and I don't see much success in forcing it on them. They have the time, resources, and inclination to fight it at every step, and piecemeal subvert the spirit of the reforms as they occur.

>>monoca+LE
Maybe we haven't voted hard enough?

>>jessau+Sz1
I'd say Minneapolis voted pretty hard the past couple weeks and are getting tangible results from it.

>>monoca+LE
That's what I pointed out upthread, tear it down and rebuild it.

>>monoca+DB1
Absolutely. Now we realize the decades of voting more softly were just a waste of time.

>>zaarn+Ga2
I guess the point I'm dancing around is that words have power, and rebuilding a force called police is still a half measure. Don't just rebuild, but instead create a new force with a new name as part of gaining new semantics. People bring baggage with them when you use the same words.

>>monoca+zS2
I don't think that is true, plenty of police forces around the world call themselves police without feeling the innate urge to shoot at innocent protesters with lethal force.