Other Views: Policing reform and public safety are linked

Daniel Linskey, Jordan Strauss, USA TODAY:

“Eight years ago Thursday, two bombs ripped through crowds of spectators and athletes at the Boston Marathon. The explosions took the lives of three people, the youngest of whom was 8. ... Many families were left grieving or traumatized, and countless others were injured physically and emotionally forever. ... Our Boston and national experience can at least provide a basis for building trust in the years ahead. ... Accept that policing reform and public safety are inextricably linked, and that if the police cannot earn the trust of the community, it will make all of us less safe. ... Police leaders often get out of their departments and hear from academics and other experts to help form ideas on better policing methods. These opportunities and this information must be shared with the front- line officers most responsible for implementing them. Often, officers are told what to do without engaging them in why they should do it. All efforts should be taken to jointly police our communities and not occupy them.”

Alex Samuels, FiveThirtyEight:

“George Floyd’s death sparked a massive movement against police brutality and a sweeping shift in public opinion. And while it’s possible that in the wake of the latest tragedy, public support for reforming policing might increase again, new calls for change face a significant obstacle in public opinion. Gains in support for reform, especially among white Americans, tend to be fleeting, and there’s no consensus on what type of reforms the public wants. .... Sixty- nine percent of Americans, according to a USA TODAY/ Ipsos survey from March, now trust local police ... to promote justice and equal treatment of all races versus 56% who felt the same way last June. ... Because many Americans are so split on what they want, police reform is often politicized.”