Badges & Boundaries: A U.S. Policing Quiz
In America, improving neighborhood safety and fostering trust between local law enforcement and communities hinges on better, more efficient policing.
Test your knowledge of the state of American police training, strategies, and efficiency--and discover the key to safer communities.
It’s a simple equation: the more cops patrolling a given community, the less crime that community experiences.
A 2021 study found that a 10 percent decrease in police presence results in a seven percent increase in crime. Adding a single police officer to a city can prevent anywhere from 0.06 to 0.1 homicides, meaning that as few as ten extra cops can save a life that would otherwise be cut short.
Training programs focusing on de-escalation and stress recognition lead to fewer use-of-force incidents, officer injuries, and citizen complaints––improving community safety and interactions between officers and citizens.
In a 2020 study by the Police Executive Research Forum, 71% of surveyed police agencies allocated less than 5% of their budget to recruit training.
According to a 2021 survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, police departments saw more officers resigning (up 18%) and retiring (up 45%) compared to the prior year.
The reasons included officers moving into a completely different field, a negative public image of law enforcement, and exhaustion from the pandemic.
There are significant differences in how U.S. police are trained compared to other countries.
Transforming Police Recruit Training: 40 Guiding Principles points out that training standards in the U.S. are outdated and inconsistent across 18,000+ police agencies, training focuses too much on weapons and tactics and not enough on decision-making, mental health, critical thinking skills, and communication.
In the U.S., basic police training lasts only about 20-22 weeks. In contrast, Japan offers 15-21 months of training, Germany provides 2.5 years, and Finland requires three years of police education.
It's essential that we prioritize extensive and rigorous training for our police force.
You tried.
Do you support police funding, not defunding? Do you want our elected officials to invest in recruitment, retention, and training for community safety?
No Labels has a few ideas about how America can improve community policing. Join the Common Sense Majority today.
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Not bad.
Do you support police funding, not defunding? Do you want our elected officials to invest in recruitment, retention, and training for community safety?
No Labels has a few ideas about how America can improve community policing. Join the Common Sense Majority today.
Well done.
Do you support police funding, not defunding? Do you want our elected officials to invest in recruitment, retention, and training for community safety?
No Labels has a few ideas about how America can improve community policing. Join the Common Sense Majority today.