Show Notes // Episode 04: Policing Past, Present, and Future

Episode 4 of the We the Voters podcast asks big questions about policing in the United States. I walk through the history of law enforcement before asking a big question: where should the future lead for policing? 

I look at the issues from two sides: (A) the government should defund the police and (B) the government should invest more money in community policing. 

You can listen to the full show right here — or follow the links to wherever you listen to podcasts:

Listen in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, and TuneIn.

Articles and Research Referenced in this Episode

Here is the research about how crime shows can warp audience perceptions. 

Here is more information about the different types of law enforcement agencies. 

Here is more information about police ranks and organization structure. 

This is the Bureau of Justice Statistics Report about police satisfaction. 

This is the Police Chief Magazine article about creating a diverse department. 

Here is more information about diversity in law enforcement. 

Here is some information about key moments in law enforcement history. 

Here is a timeline of law enforcement history in the US. 

This is an Insider article about law enforcement history. 

This is the blog post from UC Berkeley about Augsut Vollmer. 

Here is more information about eras in policing throughout US history. 

Here is more information about the history of community policing. 

This is the Pew Research Center study on body-worn cameras. 

This is the July 2020 Gallup poll about confidence in the police. 

This is another Gallup poll about confidence in the police. 

This is the New York Times article analyzing the Gallup poll findings. 

Here are the Pew Research Center findings about trends within US police departments .

Here are the Pew Research Center findings about police and the community. 

Here is more information about the role of police in the US. 

Here is more information about defunding the police. 

This is the University of Buffalo blog post about defunding the police. 

This is the NBC News article about defunding the police. 

Here is the Gallup poll about policing in America.

Here is the Five Thirty Eight poll about public perception on defunding the police. 

This is the CNBC article about defunding the police. 

This is the New York Times op-ed about police funding. 

This is the Minneapolis Star Tribune report on officer-involved shootings in Minnesota. 

This is the American Psychology Association article about policing.

This is the Yes Magazine article about police reforms and training. 

This is The Nation article about police reform. 

This is the Texas Tribune article about defunding the police. 

This is the Washington Post article about defunding the police. 

Here is the ACLU report about racial disparities in policing.

Here is the NAADAC resource about drug enforcement in policing. 

This is the CNN article about defunding the police. 

This is the Nature Magazine article about proactive policing.

This is the PNAS article about officer-involved shootings. 

This is the USA Today article about proactive policing. 

This is the Vox article about police mediation training. 

Here is the Bureau of Justice Statistics report on policing. 

This is the CBS News article about deescalation training. 

This is the Harvard Political Review article about police reform. 

Here are the statistics on officer-involved shootings in the US between 2017 and 2021. 

This is the Insider article about police training. 

Here is the report on police training requirements state-by-state. 

Here is more information about calls for reform from the Dallas Police Association. 

This is the Politico article about police budget spending. 

This is the Inquirer article about the Camden Police Department. 

This is the ACLU blog post about excessive force bills. 

This is the ACLU blog post about police reform. 

Here is more information about police presence in schools. 

This is the ACLU blog post on the school to prison pipeline. 

This is the ACLU blog post on the presence of police in schools. 

Here is more information about drug criminalization. 

This is the Human Rights Watch report about decriminalizing drug use. 

Here is more information about the medical benefits of marijuana. 

This is the Vox article about defunding the police. 

This is the Business Insider article about reducing police violence.

This is the Department of Justice report on community policing. 

Here is more information about community policing. 

Here is more information about the evolution of community policing. 

This is the Inside Edition article about the Texas officer doing a good deed in his community. 

This is the WATE article about the Knoxville officer doing a good deed in her community.

This is the KTAR article about the Phoenix officer during a good deed in his community. 

This is the Justice Policy Center report on community policing. 

This is the Justice Policy Center survey on policing in the community.

Here is more information about the crime triangle. 

This is the Gallup poll about police reform. 

Here is more information about the evidence about body worn cameras. 

Here is more information about community policing in Santa Cruz, California. 

Here is more information about technology in policing. 

This is the Policy Link report about community engagement and policing. 

Here is more information about technology benefits for policing. 

Here is more information about implicit bias. 

This is the BBC article about bias in policing. 

Here is more information about deescalation in policing. 

This is the Police Chief Magazine article about civilian oversight in policing.  

Sound Clips Referenced in this Episode

This is the Meet The Press Clip featuring Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza. 

This is the former Dallas Police Chief’s press conference. 

This is the Fox News segment with former Attorney General William Barr. 

This is the CBS Evening News interview with President Biden. 

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If you have thoughts about this week’s episode, I’ve opened up a text and voicemail hotline at 773-658-9492. Your stories and thoughts may be used in an upcoming episode or otherwise on the We the Voters site. 

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Music for this week’s episode was provided by Jason Shaw via audionautix.com.