We know we can’t eliminate police departments altogether, but we do need to demilitarize local law enforcement.
After 9/11, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent billions of dollars in combat-grade armaments, body armor, sometimes tanks and vast amounts of cash to departments all over the country, and the whole mindset of policing began to change. Police officers were trained like the military personnel being shipped to war zones.
Instead of weapons of destruction, we should be spending that money on training them to be peace officers. That was the original definition of policing. The billions spent to over-arm them would equate to a great deal of constructive counseling and training, and could be used to weed out the bullies who become officers believing a badge allows them to legally intimidate and kill.
I'm not suggesting we disarm them — just stop arming them to wage war against ordinary citizens in our cities and towns.
Candace Jacobson, Provo