Police shootings in America have become an epidemic among law enforcement. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Commission told the LAPD they should start sharing more information to the public about shootings committed by officers and the force involved with them.
The commission believes this change will gain more trust through transparency around fatal police shootings. According to the Washington Post, 754 people alone have already been killed this year by the police and could increase rapidly before the end of the year. With fatality statistics like this, it’s only right for the L.A. Police Commission to finally step into the situation with repercussions that could change the way police are involved in shootings in the United States.
The breakout of police shootings in Los Angeles has been affecting many communities and many of those who are surrounded within it. The results of shootings and harsh force has left many residents asking questions about why these acts were done and why they couldn’t be avoided. [“After a shooting occurs, there are often questions from the community – and rightfully so – about what happened whether the shooting was necessary,” said Commissioner Sandra Figueroa-Villa, who is an executive director of the nonprofit community group El Centro Del Pueblo.] It’s also very clear the public isn’t very pleased about the situations regarding the police not being transparent about police shootings.
The Los Angeles Police Commission is planning on using role-play training for officers showing officers how to use less serious force when bringing suspects into custody. It seems to beonly police shootings make more big news headlines but many people are faced with other forms of acts by law enforcement which just don’t seem to make headlines. The Los Angeles Police Commission believes offering more training that includes reality based drills which will help reduce the risk of using lethal force and show how to handle taking in suspects better.
The role of police brutality in the Los Angeles community has been affecting many South Central neighborhoods for years, especially after the Rodney King beating during the early 1990’s. The role of police violence in Los Angeles is a problem that has been fluctuating through generations and will never see an end as long as police shootings continue.
“These latest batch of proposals are more of the same solutions in search of a problem,” said the union’s board of directors, in an L.A. Times article. The problems of the past are something that will always affect the future whether there are changes but words by the commission are nothing if actions aren’t made. The Los Angeles department is hoping this change will help make an impact among law enforcement based on to handle situations better out in the field and to prevent the risk of future shootings that could be avoided.
The changes by the Los Angeles Police Commission should not only be in effect in L.A., but should also grab the attention of all law enforcement across the nation. “Any healthy organization must pause every now and again to do some self-examination and make sure it’s using the best and most current methods,” said Matt Johnson, the Los Angeles police commission president. The Los Angeles Police Commission hopes to make an impact in the future of law enforcement in Southern California as well to influence the rest of the country. The future of our safety with law enforcement is at risk if big actions aren’t made soon to help prevent it in our communities.