Running Head: REFORMING AMERICA’S FINEST: CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE

IN LAW ENFORCEMENT 1

Reforming America’s Finest: Changes That Need To Be Made In Law Enforcement

Lance A Kirkland

South Lyon High School

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Abstract

This paper’s main objective is to identify the changes that need to be made in law enforcement to

better our nation. Since the beginning of routine police patrolling, the police have been notorious

for treating minority civilians with disrespect. It has been recorded that wrongful arrests,

beatings, and even killings have all occurred at times when the police come in contact with

someone of a different race or ethnicity. Due to these events, many people are left to believe that

the police are the enemy. Yet they are not the enemy, they are supposed to be viewed as

protectors of peace, and leaders in our communities. In the course of my research, I focused on

investigating events that led to tension between the public and law enforcement agencies. I also

focused on looking at professionals stating what they wanted to change in law enforcement. It

was difficult to find changes that have already been made in modern-day policing due to how

new the concept of reforming law enforcement is. After extensive research, I was able to find

changes that have been made, changes that are working on being made, and changes that people

want to see made. Most of my writing will contain changes that are being worked on and

changes people want to see made. Overall, my research is dedicated to the changes that need to

be made in modern-day law enforcement.

Key Words: police, law enforcement, training, history, government, minority

Word Count: 233

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Reforming America’s Finest: Changes That Need To Be Made In Law Enforcement

Protests, riots, and looting. Change is most definitely needed in today's law enforcement

agencies. Unlawful arrests, excessive use of force, and even unlawful shootings are all events

that happen often to minorities when they have an encounter with a law enforcement officer. In

Malcolm Gladwell's (2005) book Blink: The Power of Thinking, Gladwell speaks about an

unlawful killing in New York City: “Diallo didn’t stop. He continued pulling on something in his

pocket, now he began to raise the black object in the direction of the officers. Carroll opened

fire” (p. 190-195). Gladwell states that Diallo ran in fear and thought the police officers dressed

in plain clothes were going to rob him. The black object in his hand was a wallet. This is just one

of many unlawful killings that police have committed. As these events become more and more

prevalent, people want to see more and more changes and reforms in our law enforcement

agencies and criminal justice system. As America develops and changes over time, our law

enforcement agencies must develop and reform to meet society’s needs. Police agencies can use

body-worn cameras, de-escalation training, and departmental diversification to enforce laws

properly.

As society develops, so does technology. Body-worn cameras are a piece of modern

technology that can be utilized to enforce laws properly. There are many positive aspects to

body-worn cameras. In Brett Chapman’s article (2019), Body-Worn Cameras: What The

Evidence Tells Us, Chapman discusses the pros and cons of body-worn cameras. He states,

Body-worn cameras may result in better transparency and accountability and thus may

improve law enforcement legitimacy. In many communities, there is a lack of trust and
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confidence in law enforcement. This lack of confidence is exacerbated by questions about

encounters between officers and community members that often involve the use of deadly

or less-lethal force. (para. 2)

When Chapman talks about how body-worn cameras may result in better transparency and

accountability, he is making it known that the use of body cameras will improve the way crimes

and encounters are reviewed. Having the ability to go back in time and review an officer's

engagement with a suspect or anyone is a great way to enforce laws and enforce the agency's

code of conduct within the department. Chapman mentioned in his article that there is a lack of

confidence and trust in communities with law enforcement. Body cameras will be able to

improve trust between communities and law enforcement because they can see why deadly or

less lethal force is used in an encounter with a law enforcement officer. Chapman (2019) writes

more about the use of body cameras: “Body-worn cameras may lead to a faster resolution of

citizen complaints and lawsuits that allege excessive use of force and other forms of officer

misconduct” (para. 4). This is articulating that body cameras will lead to faster resolutions of

complaints and lawsuits due to the ability to go back and break down what happened in the past.

Body cameras will create an unbiased environment since the entire truth will be on a camera

instead of law enforcement co-workers lying for each other and keeping the truth hidden. For

example, a news article called, Body camera video shows now-former JSO officer lying to other

officers about being punched by man, written by Ashley Harding (2023). Harding describes the

scene of a JSO deputy (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office) who falsely arrested a man and lied about it

to co-workers (Harding, 2023, p. 1). In another article called, The Effectiveness and Implications

of Police Reform: A Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green, et al. (2022), Green

states, “Body-worn camera footage can be used as evidence for encounters where force was
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used” (para. 15). Green is saying what others have previously stated: stating that body cameras

are a great piece of technology with the main purpose of using past footage to review crimes and

law enforcement encounters to better establish trust and a sense of community with civilians.

Body-worn cameras are a critical piece of technology that will continue to help enforce the laws

properly in this modern age.

During any law enforcement academy, law enforcement instructors will train cadets on a

variety of things, but one area of training needs to be improved: de-escalation training.

De-escalation training is a vital piece of training that is necessary for today's society to enforce

its laws. De-escalation training is different from other forms of training in a law enforcement

academy, In the article, The Effectiveness and Implications of Police Reform: A Review of the

Literature, written by Emilee Green et al. (2022) Green says that “de-escalation training differs

from traditional police training, which teaches quick decision-making”(para. 6). Green is saying

that de-escalation training will teach law enforcement officers to think more on their feet and

make quick decisions. They are quick decisions but they are also right decisions that’s the

important part. If law enforcement officers are taught to make quick and correct decisions then

fewer errors or misuse of force will occur out in the field. In the same Article, The Effectiveness

and Implications of Police Reform: A Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green et al.

(2022) Green states that, “ De-escalation training focuses on using verbal and non-verbal

communication techniques to reduce a threat, allowing for more time to consider the routes of

action or resources to resolve a situation” (para 6). In this quote, it is mentioned that

de-escalation training focuses on using verbal and nonverbal communication techniques to

reduce a threat. During de-escalation training, instructors will play the role of an uncooperative

and or unruly suspect, and cadets and or trainees will try to subdue or de-escalate the situation by
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only using words and commands. Such commands and words contain the following: sir, ma’am,

let me work with you, we can figure everything out once you step into my car. These are just a

few examples of words that can de-escalate a situation. In figure one it shows how officers are

supposed to use force and how to

de-escalate a situation. Another

thing Green mentioned is that

de-escalation tactics will allow

officers to give themselves more

time to consider other routes. This

means that talking to the suspect

allows law enforcement officers to

think and gives them more options

on how to handle the situation and

their next course of action. Time is

everything in law enforcement. Law enforcement officers don’t want to rush anything because

rushing a situation leads to mistakes. These mistakes could result in the loss of someone's life or

the loss of someone's job. Lastly, in an article written by Robin Engel (2022) called,

De-Escalation Training: Safer Communities and Safer Law Enforcement Officers, Engel writes,

“De-escalation training teaches officers to think about the use of force in different ways. Instead

of, 'Can I use force?,' the question becomes, 'Should I use force?'". Now Engel states that instead

of the question can I use force? The question becomes, should I use force? This enables law

enforcement officers to think about other non-force-related options to use. The less force officers
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use the more trust officers gain. It is clear that de-escalation training is needed for today’s law

enforcement officers.

When people think of the police and what kind of people that make up the police force,

people think of white men. Diversifying a police department is necessary to enforce laws

properly. Diversification is also a key ingredient to having a positive public image in the

community. In the article previously stated, The Effectiveness and Implications of Police Reform:

A Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green et al. (2022) it reads that “White men have

comprised the majority of the U.S. police force. Researchers and advocates suggest police

personnel that are representative of their community’s genders, races, and sexual orientations

could be an important aspect of police reform and result in less force against marginalized

groups” (para. 17). This quote explains that if a community has Asians and Indians as it’s

minority if there are more Asian and Indian law enforcement officers then less unnecessary force

will be used against them. This is true because members of the same race or sexual orientation

feel comfortable around each other. According to Green (2022), in Chicago, Hispanic police

officers use less force than white officers. Green confirms the fact that if there are more diverse

officers in the police force, then less unnecessary force will be used against minorities. Finally, in

the article, The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Policing, written by Eastern Kentucky

University (2023), it reads, “A diverse and inclusive police force is essential for building trust

and legitimacy in the community, and for ensuring that all members of society are treated with

dignity and respect. One of the key benefits of a diverse police force allowing for a wider range

of perspectives and experiences” (para. 1-2). The beginning of this quote states that the more

diverse the police force the more trust there will be between civilians and law enforcement

officers. Ensuring trust between civilians and law enforcement officers is key to enforcing laws
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properly. Another thing this quote illustrates is that more diverse police officers include more

perspectives and experiences. For example, if someone grew up in a poorly developed area in a

city they can see the perspective of a suspect that grew up in a poorly developed area. It is

fundamental to have a diverse police force to enforce laws adequately.

In today’s police academy, it is about 14 weeks long. But, what if it’s not long enough?

Expanding training in the police academy is an adequate way to improve and reform today's law

enforcement officers. In the article, The Effectiveness and Implications of Police Reform: A

Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green et al. (2022) Green writes, “Research suggests

current police training procedures are insufficient for reducing excessive force incidents” (para.

6). Due to the heightened incidents in excessive force, professionals such as green suggest that

more training is needed to reduce these incidents. Adding to that previous statement, the

academy itself might not provide the best training as well. Instructors might skip over or

miss-instruct information. In the same article, Green et al (2022) state, “A survey of nearly 300

law enforcement agencies found the largest segment of recruitment training was on firearms,

with a median of 58 hours of training, while 10 hours were devoted to communication skills, and

eight hours were provided on de-escalation techniques” (para. 6). This clearly shows that time

needs to be spent more in communication skills. They don’t necessarily have to get rid of the

amount of time spent on firearms training due to the fact that law enforcement officers need to be

proficient with their weapons. Spending more time on de-escalation and communication skills

with most definitely help law enforcement officers enforce the law properly. In another article

called, Not enough training. Written by The Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform.

(n.d.). It reads, “For a variety of historical and constitutional reasons, there are no federally

mandated training minimums for our nation’s law enforcement officers. This creates a patchwork
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of training requirements that vary state by state. Minimums can range from about nine months of

basic training in Connecticut to no required basic training in Hawaii” (para. 1). This quote states

the fact that the federal government has no say in how much training law enforcement officers

need or the minimum amount of training required to be a licensed peace officer. It’s the state's

responsibility to mandate the amount of training needed. If the federal government mandated the

amount of training needed to be a licensed peace officer then there wouldn't be an issue with too

much or too little training. It is clear that the police academy needs to be reformed for law

enforcement officers to enforce the law properly.

Since the beginning of time, people of high power have been able to get away with doing

wrong. Some Law enforcement officers break their own code of conduct but don’t receive the

disciplinary action they deserve. When a law enforcement officer makes a mistake or does

something called misconduct they usually receive punishment. Punishment can range from a slap

on the wrist to something called decertification. In the article, The Effectiveness and Implications

of Police Reform: A Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green et al. (2022) Green writes,

“Some states only allow for decertification after an officer is convicted of a felony or serious

misdemeanor” (para. 25) This quote is stating the fact that law enforcement officers can still

remain certified meaning they can still be a police officer if they commit a crime. This is a

negative thing because criminals should not be law enforcement officers as they go against

everything a law enforcement officer would stand for. In the same article, The Effectiveness and

Implications of Police Reform: A Review of the Literature, written by Emilee Green et al. (2022)

Green states, “Sometimes fired officers are hired in other jurisdictions” (para. 25). This quote

backs up the point that punishments need to be harsher. Fired officers should not be allowed to

be hired in other jurisdictions/agencies as nothing happened. Punishments like having to get

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recertified would help this problem of law enforcement officers getting slap on the wrist

punishments. Finally, in the article, Police Officer Certification/Decertification and Misconduct

Databases, written by, Benjamin Feigenberg and Eleni Packis (2021). They write, “Existing

research makes clear that some officers with prior misconduct histories remain more likely to

engage in misconduct again if given a second chance” (para. 17). Feigenberg and Packies are

saying that if a law enforcement officer commits misconduct then if given a second chance they

will commit misconduct again. This happens due to the fact that law enforcement officers don’t

receive harsh enough punishments for wrongful actions. If a law enforcement officer were to

receive a harsh punishment like decertification then they would think twice before committing a

wrongful action due to the fact that they would have to re-learn everything again. It is clear that

law enforcement officers need harsher punishments to enforce laws properly.

To end everything, as America develops and changes over time, our law enforcement

agencies must develop and reform to meet society’s needs. Police agencies can use body-worn

cameras, de-escalation training, and departmental diversification to enforce laws properly.

America’s police force will never be perfect but it can definitely improve. The only way they can

improve is if everyday people like you and I use our voice and suggest these improvements to

law enforcement officers. We as a community need to advocate for change and reform, we need

to reform America’s finest.

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References

Bhattar, K. (2021, December 8). UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog. The History of Policing

in the US and Its Impact on Americans Today – UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog.

Retrieved November 20, 2023, from

https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2021/12/08/the-history-of-policing-in-the-us-and-its-impact-on

-americans-today/

Biden, J. R. (2022, May 25). Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable

Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. The White

House. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/05/25/executive-order-on-a

dvancing-effective-accountable-policing-and-criminal-justice-practices-to-enhance-public-trust-a

nd-public-safety/

David H. Bayley and Christine Nixon. (2023, September 2). The Changing Environment

for Policing, 1985-2008. Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/ncj230576.pdf

Gladwell, M. (2006). Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Penguin Books

Limited.

Green, E., Kuczynski, B., & Reichert, J. (2022, 10 27). The Effectiveness and Implications of

Police Reform: A Review of the Literature. ICJIA | Illinois Criminal Justice Information

Authority. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from

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https://icjia.illinois.gov/researchhub/articles/the-effectiveness-and-implications-of-police-reform-

a-review-of-the-literature

The Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform. (n.d.). The Institute for Criminal

Justice Training Reform. Safer for the Police Safer for the Public. Retrieved November 20, 2023,

from https://www.trainingreform.org/

References

CHAPMAN, B. (2019, January). Body-Worn Cameras: What the Evidence Tells Us (NIJ Journal

280). Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved December 22, 2023, from

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/252035.pdf

Eastern Kentucky University. (2023, February 9). The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in

Policing. EKU Online. Retrieved December 22, 2023, from

https://ekuonline.eku.edu/blog/police-studies/the-importance-of-diversity-and-inclusion-i

n-policing/

Engel, R. (2022, September 6). De-Escalation Training: Safer Communities and Safer Law

Enforcement Officers. Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved December 22, 2023, from

https://www.ojp.gov/files/archives/blogs/2022/de-escalation-training-safer-communities-

and-safer-law-enforcement-officers

Feigenberg, B., & Packis, E. (2021, January 21). Police Officer Certification/Decertification and

Misconduct Databases January 21, 2021. UChicago Urban Labs. Retrieved December

22, 2023, from

https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/attachments/6e2fd9d0a802b3137918a12e3609f60ef95fe0
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10/store/f7a20e417f3d634cda6b08899ee98d8bb59d8818dc7bdb4c3862499f6c69/Certific

ation+Decertification.pdf