> The [Scottish programme] is run by the police force, with support from the Scottish government ... [The American founder], a purist on the public health model of violence, says it is “horrible” for police to administer it, since police are often part of the problem.
As far from perfect as police in the UK are, I get the impression that the Brits have a very different relationship from the police than most Americans do.
What do you think "most Americans" relationship with the police is? Speaking for myself, I don't really have one, but all my encounters with the police have been professional and respectful.
Even with family as law enforcement, I've never trusted police. As a vet I'm disgusted by their lack of training and quickness to shoot first and ask questions later. Last I checked the average is 32 dogs shot by US cops a day. I don't even need to delve into the refusal to wear body cams, race issues, etc. etc. American police have not given Americans any reason to assume they are ever on the same side.
Eighteen year old infantrymen, who have an infinitely greater chance of danger, have more resolve and professionalism than American cops. I'd trust that 18 year old ground pounder over a cop any day over any thing.
I get the idea that people who join the police in the US do it for the authority, where police in the UK are well aware that 95% of the authority they have is "by consent" of those they have authority over.
The vast, vast majority of police officer aren't shooting blacks under super fishy circumstances but it still happens.
You tell me how many dogs, blacks, children, wtf-ever. is required before it's OK to 1) Earnestly hold police and the system accountable and 2) To have a healthy wariness, if not outright distrust, of cops and LEOs in general.
Seems to me like we've passed those thresholds and then-some a while ago.
There are some really great programmes in the UK that follow police and their interactions with the public. For someone who lives in the US, this can be eye opening compared to our process.
A few shows I’d recommend are:
999 What’s Your Emergency
24 Hours in Police Custody
The Met
I fully acknowledge the risk that these shows are positively edited to present police in the best light, but I get a sense the British police followed in these programmes have a much heavier focus on deescalation in their training than many of the police forces in the US.
As far from perfect as police in the UK are, I get the impression that the Brits have a very different relationship from the police than most Americans do.