Monday, December 08, 2014

POLICING - After Ferguson

"Can technology and training strengthen community policing after Ferguson?" PBS NewsHour 12/1/2014

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  The fallout from Ferguson took center stage at the White House today, with President Obama calling for some $260 million in federal response funds.  It includes buying 50,000 body cameras to record police actions.

Ferguson officer Darren Wilson wasn’t wearing a camera when he shot and killed Michael Brown.  He’s now resigned after a grand jury voted not to charge him.

Today, the President met with civil rights and community leaders and with police officials.  He said it’s vital to restore trust between police and minorities.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  When any part of the American family doesn’t feel like it is being treated fairly, that’s a problem for all of us.  It’s not just a problem for some.  It’s not just a problem for a particular community or a particular demographic.  It means that we are not as strong a country as we can be.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  The President also called for better training for police, including in using military equipment.

The meetings amid continuing protests, including five Saint Louis Rams players who made a “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture before their football game Sunday.  Mr. Obama said the racial divide today seen in Ferguson is nationwide.  And he promised that a new task force is going to be more than just talk.

For some perspective on today’s announcements and police practices and training in the aftermath of Ferguson, we turn to Malik Aziz.  He’s national chairman of the National Black Police Association and a former commander in the Dallas police force.  And Raymond Kelly, he’s former police commissioner of New York City.  He’s now president of Risk Management Services at Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm.

We welcome you both to the program.



"Will outrage over Garner, Ferguson grand jury verdicts trigger systemic changes?" PBS NewsHour 12/4/2014

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  For a broader look at how the Eric Garner case and the intersection of race and justice are resonating with Americans, Gwen Ifill gets perspectives from Candace McCoy of City University of New York and Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker.

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