• Source Analysis •
Next in this paper “Police Reform and the Problem of Trust” by Andrew Goldman talks about problems the general public have with trusting the police. Movements such as Black Lives Matter have gone on in so many different shapes and forms that do not wish or even want the police, due to random acts of violence and racial discrimination towards Blacks and other races when it comes down to arresting. Other people may just seem that they don’t trust in the police force in protecting them and want to take measures into their own hands, but no matter the reasons, this paper examines the public’s problem of trust in the police force and in absence of that trust there can be no “policing by consent”. This term entails negative performance in the police, and establishing the constraints and trust building while keeping the wider police environment in mind.
To go along with that, the public does not trust the police because the police “police by consent”, this entails that the police keep the peace in a way that the people want. But when that officer is coming to arrest someone, obviously that person does not want to be treated as such. Situations like this could certainly arise in a “friend of a friend” scenario where the person being arrested knows the officer in question and wishes them to be a little easier on him or her. The public knows this and distrust the discipline of the police force because of it. Next, this paper brings to light the sheer performance and effectiveness of the police force as of late. According to the paper “police who are consistently required to enforce unpopular laws will gradually lose support for their general duties” (Goldsmith). This can be connected to the Nazi regime, such as some soldiers may not have cared for what they were doing, but it was their job to do as they were told. The police are there to uphold the law and nothing else, despite lack of support. Finally, constraints in a police environment versus that of a civilian one will always hold back trust in the police. According to this paper the most important goal in rebuilding trust within the people is exercising accountability within the police. This change must reflect a “protective” version of policing rather than a “regime” one (Goldman). The job of the force must be at all times to protect the people, not the government running. The police must always do things such as disclose public documents in a timely manner as well as act fairly and transparently towards others. If none of these things are achieved, then trust can never be truly established once again.
To go along with that, the public does not trust the police because the police “police by consent”, this entails that the police keep the peace in a way that the people want. But when that officer is coming to arrest someone, obviously that person does not want to be treated as such. Situations like this could certainly arise in a “friend of a friend” scenario where the person being arrested knows the officer in question and wishes them to be a little easier on him or her. The public knows this and distrust the discipline of the police force because of it. Next, this paper brings to light the sheer performance and effectiveness of the police force as of late. According to the paper “police who are consistently required to enforce unpopular laws will gradually lose support for their general duties” (Goldsmith). This can be connected to the Nazi regime, such as some soldiers may not have cared for what they were doing, but it was their job to do as they were told. The police are there to uphold the law and nothing else, despite lack of support. Finally, constraints in a police environment versus that of a civilian one will always hold back trust in the police. According to this paper the most important goal in rebuilding trust within the people is exercising accountability within the police. This change must reflect a “protective” version of policing rather than a “regime” one (Goldman). The job of the force must be at all times to protect the people, not the government running. The police must always do things such as disclose public documents in a timely manner as well as act fairly and transparently towards others. If none of these things are achieved, then trust can never be truly established once again.