America’s Police Needs Much More Than Meaningful Reforms; Here's What Needs To Be Done

George’s Floyd’s death controversy has once again sparked discussions concerning violent encounters between the police and the public, which sometimes fall victim to their brutality.

Even though people of all races, color and background have become a victim of police brutality in the past, it is those of specific racial and minority groups that are considered to be more vulnerable to violence and this is exactly what happened in George Floyd’s murder case.

George Floyd’s death has sparked outrage among people of all age groups, color and racial groups across the world. With #BlackLivesMatter trending on Twitter and elsewhere, people of color are receiving the support of the common man who has either witnessed police violence or support the need to raise their voices for implementation of reforms for the American police.

However, this is not the first time that such protests are taking place, calling out for the need for police reforms. The solutions to such police violence and brutality are well-known and prior incidents have led to the formation of many commissions, including the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing (2014), formed during Barack Obama’s time as the POTUS before Donald Trump.

Such commissions include meaningful conclusions, measures and suggestions concerning police reforms that were widely implemented, however, failed to remain in place over time due to change in public interests and changing political landscape.

Incidents such as the one that led to George Floyd’s death are condemnable and calls for strict reforms. However, that does not mean that all members of the American police are the same. Most of them are well-intentioned, work at organizations with great policies and have received good training. But it seems that good intentions are not sufficient to prevent such incidents.

American policing is well-aware of how to create transparent systems and the ones that can identify, prevent and address abuses of power and position.

Reforms are available and so is the intention but what seems lacking is the political will to have a system in place to prevent such incidents. In the U.S., the federal, state and local governments need to work collaboratively to alter the legal, administrative, and social frameworks that lead to such police behavior. They need to commit resources and funds to bring change.