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Articles on Policing in America

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Research shows that arrests for serious crimes are quite rare. Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Police solve just 2% of all major crimes

When police arrest a suspect who is then convicted of the crime, it is a rare exception rather than the rule in the US.
Armed white citizens and police have historically worked together in the U.S., though it’s not clear whether that’s what’s happening here. George Frey/Getty Images

Vigilantism, again in the news, is an American tradition

For many Americans, law and order has long been as much a private matter as something for the government to handle.
A vigil in memory of Alton Sterling, who was shot dead by police. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. REUTERS/Jeffrey Dubinsky

Why is it so hard to improve American policing?

For 50 years, we have worked to make U.S. police more diverse and less intrusive. Why haven’t we made more progress?
Brent Thompson, an officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, was one of five police officers killed Thursday. LinkedIn via Reuters

A tragic reminder that policing takes a toll on officers, too

The shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas are a tragic reminder of the dangers that police face. They pay a price in mental and physical health.
The police accountability, or cop-watching, movement includes activists who go out on regular patrols to videotape arrests. Mary Angela Bock

How video can help police – and the public

With citizens filming police, and police recording public encounters, the key to the truth is establishing a clear timeline of events.

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