Evolving Community Perceptions of Police: Analyzing Impacts of Historic and Current Events

Abstract

Critical Analysis of Modernizing Policing Connect issues of policing and community perceptions of police to current historical factors. Research historical or current events that have had an impact on a community based on positive/negative community perceptions of police Historical and Current events shaping community perception towards policing Civil Rights Movements of the 60 Rodney King Riots of early 90s among other black people killings in the 21sts century Black Live Matter Movement Community policing initiatives High-profile cases Introduction Police ways of interacting, engaging and reacting towards the community determines community perception towards the entire policing approaches. While analyzing the historical and current factors that shape community perception towards policing, it is open that a number of factors define the positive while others define the negative side of policing as viewed by the public. Arguing from the Civil Rights Movements of the 60s, Rodney King Riots of early 90s among other black people killings in the 21sts century, Black Live Matter Movements, community policing initiatives and High-profile cases, one can confirm that these historical and current events have a profound effect on community perception towards the police. It is imperative to note that the above mentioned events had positive and negative effects on the community thus influencing their cooperation, trust and general relationships with the police significantly shaping their perception towards the entire policing practice. While analyzing the Civil Rights Movements of the 60s, it is open that police responses to the peaceful demonstrations and the movement’s activists shaped community perception towards policing. The community interpreted police brutality, use of unnecessary excessive force and racial profiling of the people of color as a way of preventing justice for all which should e their guiding motto (Pineda, 2021). For instance, the killing and injuries during the Montgomery marches though was a peaceful protest clearly told the blacks that the police were more of a threat to their justice than their protector thus the need to do...