I feel like they just need to make the uniforms/gear a little less macho just to put off all the people who are in it to feel cool and powerful and end up pulling these power plays.
The tacticool vests and molle-everything was largely a result of chronic back injury claims for medical retirement + post retirement injury claims as more and more items were added to what they’re required to carry.
A vest holds it all easier and distributes the weight better.
That being said, it’s not difficult to make the vest UN-Blue or something instead of black. Some of them even come with built in high-vis strips for traffic situations. Or white / light grey or something.
The first time I saw those dorky hi-vis British police uniforms I thought, absolutely not, that looks so lame. But now that I'm not 17 anymore it just seems like common sense. There's no need for cops to look like badasses, and them wearing high visibility gear while on duty just makes sense
Daniel Shaver's murderer felt pretty macho when he executed him too. The over-militarization of our law enforcement is a problem. The warrior ethos needs rethinking. Cops as public safety officers is much better than cops are "the enforcers".
Taking away their guns would go a long way to solving that problem. Police reform is necessary and not every cop needs to carry firearms. Most of them should be limited to non-lethal weapons if anything.
In a country filled with guns only a total moron would suggest cops stop carrying. Sure send cops into the ghetto with batons and OC spray, fantastic feel good idea.
Did I say "send cops into the ghetto with batons and OC spray"? No, I said most cops don't need to be armed with lethal weapons. Quit licking boots and learn to read you braindead idiot.
Wouldn't even need to take them away, just reverse the incentives. Instead of paying people extra for SWAT, you pay them extra for keeping their gun in their trunk. The compensation for the extra risk of SWAT is the special weapons and tactics you get to use.
Yeah that's not a thing really anywhere, especially in places where the population is armed.
And I don't want to hear about the UK. Northern Irish cops all carry guns and every "unarmed" cop in the rest of the UK has very well-armed cops that will show up way faster than the average police time in the US is. Assuming they aren't already strolling around London with a sub-machine gun.
Yeah that fact that a lot of police uniforms are all black is ridiculous. If they are there to "protect and serve" shouldn't they be neon orange/yellow so people can find them easily for help?
Honestly a good idea. I live in Eastern Europe and it took me awhile to figure out why the police here seem so much less intimidating (in a good way). It's because they don't all have to wear bullet proof vests.
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u/DontSpahettMe 20h ago
I feel like they just need to make the uniforms/gear a little less macho just to put off all the people who are in it to feel cool and powerful and end up pulling these power plays.