Almost certainly there is a connection between rising crime and pressure on police. While a few high-profile incidents have fueled this, the response has been largely political, ineffective and unrealistic. Defunding the police, is not going to be conducive to reducing crime. The majority of law enforcement officers are good people who have been given a certain set of tools in order to do their jobs. Some of these tools are used for deadly force. If the public does not want police to use these methods, then realistic effective tools need to be given to officers to do their jobs. If someone is spitting on officers, and you don't want a bag put over the person's head, then a realistic alternative needs to be presented. If you don't want officers to shoot people who are acting violently, then realistic, effective alternatives need to be put into the available tools that officers can utilize. So far, this does not seem to be happening. Law enforcement officers are being asked to prevent crime, without using force. It is no wonder that there is a problem in recruiting and retaining police officers.
The thoughts of a writer.
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