Why is the US police so lethal? One thing which sets the US apart is their number of guns in circulation. So I plotted the police killings with the number of registered firearms by state. There is a visible correlation.
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It is hard to understand how much the US stand out with their number of firearms in circulation without visualising it.
washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…
washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2…
This large presence of firearms in the population makes policing dangerous.
The disproportionate use of pre-emptive violence by US police officers is likely influenced by the possibility for anybody to carry a gun.
cnbc.com/2020/06/01/geo…
The disproportionate use of pre-emptive violence by US police officers is likely influenced by the possibility for anybody to carry a gun.
cnbc.com/2020/06/01/geo…
One solution to protect the police force has been its militarisation. But the evidence does not necessarily support that it makes society and the police force safer.
The possibility to use excessive force can easily lead to things going wrong. This video from today is eye-opening about how poor judgements from a militarised police can be very dangerous.
Other factors certainly play a role, but the legal spread of firearms likely contributes to making the US society, and its police more violent.
Gun laws are primarily discussed to limit mass shootings. But, beyond, they could also help change the US police culture.
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Gun laws are primarily discussed to limit mass shootings. But, beyond, they could also help change the US police culture.
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