Whites and blacks have sharply different levels of confidence in the police, and the recent shooting in Ferguson, Mo. has brought those differences to the fore again. Both groups, however, are reluctant to outfit police departments with the kind of equipment the military uses. Here’s a snapshot of views in recent years.
It is a relief to see that most Americans of all races do not support the militarization of our police. We have a strong division between the military and the police for a reason. The military is meant to fight wars, the police to ensure domestic abiding of the law. Make the police look and feel more like an army, and the people you are trying to protect seem to look more like an enemy.
Whites and blacks have sharply different levels of confidence in the police, and the recent shooting in Ferguson, Mo. has brought those differences to the fore again. Both groups, however, are reluctant to outfit police departments with the kind of equipment the military uses. Here’s a snapshot of views in recent years.
It is a relief to see that most Americans of all races do not support the militarization of our police. We have a strong division between the military and the police for a reason. The military is meant to fight wars, the police to ensure domestic abiding of the law. Make the police look and feel more like an army, and the people you are trying to protect seem to look more like an enemy.