Most of the protests with policing has to do with the fact that people of color have heard or seen abuses of power committed, especially within urban areas. There has been little recourse for those abuses in the past, but smartphones and Police body cameras have brought those abuses into the homes of most Americans. I can admit that the mission of the Police (especially those who work in urban areas) is outrageously complex and those Police forces have not always been given the tools to deal with that complexity. But some urban areas do a much better job than others .
The biggest issue that I have personally observed has been the “temperament” of some officers, especially when it comes to deescalating a situation. My own experiences with the police make me wary of any interaction, but I believe that a well-trained police force can overcome that obstacle by being professional and courteous. I have tried to get rid of my own biases and start fresh when I deal with law enforcement today, but I find myself 15 years old again and being quickly approached by an officer with his hand on the holster and being detained. I know that the police saved lives where I grew up (I hate the all-negative narrative around the Police), but they also inflicted trauma to innocents, just like the criminals and gangs that they were protecting my neighborhood from.
How would you fix our issue with Police being used as social workers? I am always curious about real solutions.