Police around the country have been thrust into controversy and many have been scrambling to prove their accountability to the communities they serve. Public opinion on these recent controversial matters (such as allegations of racial profiling and targeting of minorities) ranges between supporting the police and absolutely hating all law enforcement officers (and everything in between). No matter the support police departments may receive, however, they are being forced to change and adapt with the new age of technology. The changes that law enforcement agencies are making have provided increased accountability and are combating these controversial issues.

Before going into the different ways that police departments are reacting, it should be noted that the media has played a role in these events, and many times has impacted the police in a negative way. For example, one thing often not noticed by the public is that crime rates are also in a national decline. However, with the increased public sensitivity to police shootings and lethal interactions, it makes it seem that instances of lethal force and police-involved shootings are on the rise. With the focus on isolated incidents of lethal force, people have neglected to see their areas crime statistics, let alone any major city's crime rate. Major cities such as NY and DC have seen a decline of major and violent crime. As an example, in 2012, DC saw its lowest homicide rate since the 1960s (Washington DC Crime Rates). New York has seen a decrease as well, but most people do not hear or see this statistic due to the spotlight that has been put on the few cases of "bad" or illegitimate police work.

Over the course of my brief time working with the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC (DC MPD), I became very interested in how the police, nationally, are confronting the issue of law enforcement becoming more and more controversial. The law enforcement officers of today have to deal with a level of scrutiny never seen before, especially with new "anti-cop" and "police accountability" groups (groups such as Black Lives Matter and Cop Block). Many of these people and groups would like to see various things happen to the law enforcement community; ranging from things such as taking away firearms, to drastic proposals such as abolishing police departments nation-wide.

Police departments across the nation are reacting to the new wave of scrutiny and controversy. The departments that are feeling real pressure are normally the large city departments across the country (Los Angeles, Baltimore, Chicago, New York City, etc.), and most are taking similar paths in combating and/or preventing the controversy. The leadership of some of the larger profile departments (such as Baltimore and Ferguson) is undergoing changes, and showing that departments all across the nation need to change. Even if a department has not been subject to a recent controversial event, they are making major changes to ensure that none happen (such as the DC Metropolitan Police Department).

One particular thing that many departments are starting to do (or have done for awhile now) is partnering police officers up for their patrols; and partnering younger and lesser-experienced police officers with experienced officers. This alone not only ensures the safety of the newer officers and provides a better sense of safety for all officers, but provides another witness in all matters that the officers may deal with. However, some groups (groups like Black Lives Matter, in particular) say that this is not an effective solution, as an additional officer may only serve to backup any untruthful account that another officer provides. This resistance shows that police departments are going to have to change and adapt even more to prevent any controversy.

Another change that has greatly changed police work in recent years and is continuing to save lives is the Taser. The Taser has been adopted by numerous departments across the country and provides a non-lethal alternative to many situations where a firearm would have been the only other option. Despite its wide popularity and use, some large departments, such as the DC MPD, still have not adopted them. This, however, is changing due to the recent controversy surrounding law enforcement, and DC now hopes to have a large number of Tasers on patrol by the end of 2016. This has also spurred other, smaller departments in the area and around the country to begin to adopt the Taser. One officer who I interviewed said the department was "finally getting with the times," (Anonymous). As, until now, the only options officers had were the issued firearm, baton, and pepper spray; which cannot cover all situations effectively.

 Many departments trying to put off any questions of accountability are turning to the body camera, a small camera attached to the chest, glasses, or placed on the shoulder of an officer. This camera is always on and also records audio, making it clear what took place on a call. These body cameras provide proof of the actions that took place during a call, and are undeniable by both the officer and suspect (whoever may be in the wrong can no longer deny the allegations). This is another technology that DC hopes to implement, and not just in limited numbers; they hope to have all officers equipped with a body camera by the end of 2016. Being the most recent technology available to police, it still has some time before spreading fully across the country, but has caught on quickly. When asked about body cameras, the MPD officer said, "They (body cameras) are crucial. If a department has to pick one thing to change or implement, they should be it. Even if a department can't afford them the individual officers should make the investment and get one." (Anonymous). This obviously brings the major point of funding: not all departments can afford hundreds, if not thousands of body cameras. The particular officer in my interview bought one with his own money in the beginning of 2014 for the "peace of mind" that it provides; he stated that the cost (of about $100) was vastly outweighed by the benefit of having all of his actions covered by hard proof.

In my interview, I asked the officer "what do you think other police departments should do about the situations they find themselves in and how to prevent them?" (Other departments being in cities such as Ferguson, Baltimore). The officer, making it clear he did not want it to sound like he was bragging about his own department, said that others should follow DC's lead. To expand on this, DC has had no major racial controversy regarding police; there is friction in some of the lower-income areas, but this is largely due to events in other cities (particularly Baltimore). He admitted that they were behind with the implementation of tasers, but that other things, such as sending out officers in pairs, and the department-wide use of body cameras, should be standard across the country. He then explained that he knew some departments may not have the massive resources that the MPD may have, but departments should make all effort to use body cameras, going as far as encouraging officers to buy their own if a department can't afford them. He explained that having the peace of mind he felt knowing that his actions were reinforced by pure evidence was easily worth the cost. This officer felt that the steps DC was taking to ensure the accountability of all of their officers was a bar that the country should make standard for police departments.

Another major thing for police departments is their relationship with the city or local government for which they work. A close relationship is crucial to working through controversial events, such as the Baltimore riots. In Baltimore, the mayor fired the police chief during the riots. This can be seen as many things, but overall it can seem like a placement of the blame. A city should stay strong and stick together,  and it should not come to these measures during a crisis. The mayor gave into the rioters and fired the top police officer in the city, as well as trying to un-vilify the rioters, even though the National Guard was called in to protect areas of the city. It should be made clear that there is no tolerance for actions, and police departments as well as higher city leadership should be willing to work together to fix these problems.

Despite the changes that police departments are implementing, there is a national problem facing all police departments. Various news corporations and organizations are generating money (whether this be through "shares," "views," or "likes") from the controversy surrounding police, and have, at times, thrown fuel on the fire themselves. A great example of this is the shooting of Deven Guilford by officer Jonathan Frost. This example is used because of the readily available body camera footage from Officer Frost and segments of cell phone video from Guilford, which prove that Officer Frost, in the end was justified in his shooting of Guilford (ruled an act of self defense--officer Frost attempted to reason with Guilford multiple times, and was attacked by Guilford). However, many news outlets jumped at the opportunity to spark a new debate in the ongoing controversy surrounding the police. One in particular I have selected to show; CNN posted segments of the body camera footage entitled "Cop Kicks Phone out of Teen's Hand, Shoots 7 times," clearly trying to attract attention without explaining the event at all. Although the events in the title did ultimately happen, the title seems to attempt to make the officer the one at fault. To fix this problem, it is the media, not any department, that needs to take action and show absolutely no bias when it comes to reporting these events; rather than posting an inflammatory article and a biased opinion to generate views on a page or video.

Another issue that police have to face is pleasing groups such as Black Lives Matter and CopBlock. Regarding Black Lives Matter, the group has no definitive demands besides general things such as "limiting force" and "demilitarization." Without specifics, it is hard to act on these demands; this is because force is meant to be, and in most cases is, only used when necessary. The demanding of "demilitarization" most likely stems from the Ferguson riots, when police used armored vehicles to protect themselves from rioters. In many instances, spokespersons of the group have incorrectly called these armored vehicles "tanks." In response, the police could correct this by educating their respective areas on the usage and capabilities of their equipment, and allowing the public to see these vehicles first hand, instead of breaking them out during riots and hoping that the public understands that this vehicle, which looks like it came from the military (which it did), is being used for defensive purposes.

CopBlock serves as my example of a more inflammatory group. Despite a noble goal of  "[providing] Transparency, safeguard individual rights, outreach, erode violence-based monopoly," (CopBlock) the group merely harasses officers in many of their videos online. This group has no clear demands or "wants" for policing, they just seem to want police officers to be perfect human beings and work flawlessly in their jobs. However great this may be, it is impossible, as it is with any other job in existence. CopBlock aims to show people their rights, but it is seen through many of their videos that they are made up of "anti-cop" individuals who seek a reason to verbally harass police officers.

These groups, on the other hand, have done their part in being a national watchdog against illegitimate uses of force, and have caused some bad officers to be expelled from their departments. The group has called attention to instances of gross misuse of power, and has done well in ensuring that certain officers have their power stripped from them. However, it is arguable that the general public would have done this anyway (or already did, and groups such as BLM claim responsibility), and most departments have strict policies regarding accountability. It also needs to be understood that with an estimated 900,000 sworn police officers with general arrest powers in the United States, there will always be some cases of illegitimate use of force or misuse of power, no matter the size or strength of any watchdogs or "anti police" groups. The increased scrutiny has perhaps pushed departments in the right direction in terms of new equipment (such as body cameras), but these groups and some individuals need to realize that system will never be perfect as so thought.

Police are adapting in many ways to the changing times and circumstances of police work. Departments across the country continue to develop their ways and techniques of policing to ensure their accountability and effective police work. However, this cannot be a one-sided effort. The media also has a role to play, and this could just be as simple as reporting events in an unbiased fashion (without debates or opinion pieces), and just using the results of internal investigations instead of speculating on events. The general public also needs to be educated about current law enforcement related events and be able to understand the entirety of police work; sometimes mistakes will be made, force will be used, lives will be changed, and people will die. Despite what some people and groups may think, this is not all to blame on police officers, and society as a whole should make an effort to greater understand policing.

