Communities and Police Coming Together

Rodney King Documentary

1
Policing and society have changed as a result of the Rodney King incident in the sense that society and the media are much more sensitive to how police interact with individuals, especially African-Americans. However, that does not mean violence has stopped or diminished because every year it seems there is another scandal about an African-American shot by a white police officer. Still, the Rodney King video of the beating helped to usher in a new awareness throughout society in the sense that every individual now carries a camera on the phone and can record everything at a moment’s notice. Even police are wearing body cameras now to help cut down on the risk that can arise when one feels that “no one is looking”—so that is one positive development.
2
Police-community relations are both better and worse. One the one hand, there is more community input in policing than ever before. Community advisory boards help have a say in how policing is administered. On the other hand, there is a great deal of distrust between some groups and police. The Black Lives Matter movement, for instance, is an organization that highlights the distrust that many African-Americans still feel towards police.
3
I thought the documentary was well-made and made some very good points. The Rodney King beating was vicious and unconscionable and revealed the extent to which police brutality can be carried. I would definitely recommend the video to anyone because it is an important topic that people should give time to and think about seriously so as to address the very real issue of race relations and police-community relations in America.
Community Participation Video
1
In the new millennium, I feel that community participation and police community relations will improve because communities and organizations are taking an interest in policing and police organizations see the value in working with communities to overcome issues such as distrust. As residents make strides in improving police-community relations, a better relationship can be fostered between police and residents and this in turn can promote a more sensible and respectful culture. The threat of violence is too great in today’s society to not take these issues seriously and as more cities erupt into chaos, like Chicago or Baltimore, the more likely other communities are to respond and take initiatives to solve these issues before the same things happen there.
2
I thought this was a good video and a good example of how communities can work to make a difference and address issues like racial inequality while also showing support for police officers and the chief by coming out and dialoguing and recognizing how the police and the chief are working to make the overall health of the community more positive. When communities see this kind of interaction as an opportunity for two sides to come together and learn to appreciate what the other has to offer, it is a good thing for everyone, and this video highlights how that can happen by focusing on the Hopkinsville initiative.