Louisville, Ky.

The Attorney General announced that the Civil Rights Division will open an investigation into the policies and practice of the Louisville, Kentucky Metro Police Department. That announcement was followed by a press conference in Louisville where the newly appointed Police Chief and political leaders who announced their total support of the investigation.
The result is a forgone conclusion. Louisville will be forced to hire a Federal Monitor, a political hack appointed by a Federal Judge, who would otherwise be qualified to flip burgers at a fast food restaurant. That individual will need to approve important things such as the purchase of paper clips and will earn between eighty and one hundred thousand dollars per year. In most cases, that will last several years.
The acceptance of the Louisville government demonstrates their inability to rectify any shortcomings in their police department, and their unwillingness to be held accountable.
The true issue in policing in America is that it is provided by humans, who bring their own biases and who will make mistakes. There can never be perfection in delivery of service by humans. Dealing with problem employees is made much more difficult by union contracts and state laws. Kentucky, for example, has a Police Officer Bill of Rights which was designed to protect officers from political pressure and interference. Collective Bargaining Agreements have binding arbitration. The result has protected employees who should be fired for misconduct and incompetence.
There are short-term solutions. Transferring employees into positions where they cannot actually hurt anyone is a start. This would involve assignments to the Impounding Lot or desk duty for the duration of their career.
The long-term solution rests in the hands of the residents of the community. Although the community has no say in the firing of an individual, it can fire the entire agency. It does that by electing people who have the interest of the community at heart. Those elected people can then dissolve the police department and get police services from another agency.
The public’s interest in law enforcement only comes to question when they require the service. Otherwise, they go about their daily lives knowing only what they see on the nightly news. Cops live, play and raise their family where they work, so they are invested in the safety of their community.
The silent majority supports law enforcement while the vocal minority controls the narrative. When the majority becomes vocal, things will improve radically. When parents raise their children to respect authority (police, teachers, clergy and teach that actions do have consequences, this will become a better place. It is time to reverse the trend and regain control.