3-2-.1 Paper

Source: Lemieux, F. (2014, December 17). Democratic policing: What it says about America today. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/democratic-policing-what-it-says-about-america-today-35066
Surprising Facts in the Article
I was surprised to discover that the United States of America has a decentralized police force with over 600 police academies after reading “Democratic policing: what it says about America today.” The article further states that the academies’ curricula vary significantly. Doesn’t this mean that police officers from different academies may have diverse interpretations of their mandates and tactics?
Another surprising piece of information in the article was about the funding of the police force. In spite of being the primary agency of law enforcement and existing as an autonomous body, the police force grapples with limitations brought about by budgetary constraints.
It is also surprising that policing takes a sociodemographic approach as opposed to holistic policing strategies since the article hints towards low-income communities and minorities being the subjects of intense policing that is targeted towards crime fighting. On the other hand, policing plans in upscale neighborhoods is more of a formality and just for security purposes. Doesn’t this amount to unfair targeting of low-income earners and minorities?
 Facts in the Article that I did not understand
The author mentioned that the police force now has access to surveillance material and other technological advancements that are used to monitor crime.

Why then is the rate of crime still rising?
After reading the article, I failed to understand why the police force has some political elements. The article points out that the position of police chief is political and subject to election. Doesn’t officers of merit fill these positions better through public appointments by governors?
Question to the Author
So far, the police force is rife with scandals on the use of lethal force, and there is a consensus that the current system is ineffective. Therefore, is it possible that harmonization of the police curriculum and delocalization of police recruits will have a significant impact on the journey to democratic policing?

Reference
Lemieux, F. (2014, December 17). Democratic policing: What it says about America today. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/democratic-policing-what-it-says-about-america-today-35066