The Importance Of Police Reform

Police reform laws have been a highly discussed topic in the news and recent presidential campaign. There is a continuing divide on the decision of new reform laws or to increase the enforcement of current laws. Although there have been controversy over what is the right decisions and if reform is actually needed, in the end, there is a need for new reform. This is an important issue to address because of the impact in makes in communities across the nation, as well as the national community.
Many instances have occurred in the recent past causing a growing divide between police officers and the general public, especially minority groups. Eight hundred and seventy-five people have been fatally shot in the United States in the current year. Three hundred and eighty-nine of those were identified as a minority. In just fourteen percent of these cases were their body cameras recording the event (“Police Shootings”). …show more content…
Researchers present the solution of implementing body cameras at a local level versus a national level on account of accountability. “The use of body cameras implemented at the local level forces the police to answer to the people responsible for the implementation of body cameras” (Chambers 785). Chambers is arguing that if the local community is enforcing the use of body cameras, the cameras will be more effective. If a national committee is responsible for overseeing the use of body cameras then it becomes less effective. If there is a mistake made then the officer will feel more pressure when answering to his or her own community versus waiting for someone on the national level to get to it and review the case. The accountability towards the local community versus the national “ghosts” will create a more apparent view on responsibility from the police departments for the officers to be more aware of what procedures that are