What needs to be done -- by law enforcement and by citizens -- to encourage positive interactions between the police and the diverse members of the community? How should the police handle difficult arrests? And what is Columbia doing to train its officers in these areas? Key figures involved in police and citizen relations discuss these questions and more.

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Panelists:
Ken Burton, Columbia Police chief
Don Love, chair of the central Missouri chapter of the Missouri Association of Social Welfare
David Harris, University of Pittsburgh law professor and author of “Profiles in Injustice: Why racial profiling cannot work” and “Good Cops: The case for preventive policing” (Joining the program by phone)
Steven Silverman, founder and executive director of Flex Your Rights (Joining the program by phone)
 


Comments

Vanessa Roush
08/19/2010 13:44

This was an outstanding interview. I am 48 years old and was raised to respect and trust the police but in the past 15 years or so I have lost all respect for police. I have raised my children to never talk to the police and not to trust them and it saddens me that I have to feel this way in America. I hope that things change and my kids can feel good about raising their children to trust and respect the police officers and feel that they are out to serve and protect.

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Jeff King
08/19/2010 15:30

I beginning to think no one would get to the point or the video. I almost cut it off because from the achor guy to the guests,way too much talk about nothing. BORING
Statics show African Americans do commit more crimes. Not to profile is silly. Better to search a dark skin person wearing a turbin than a blonde middle age woman. Actual experience.
Sorry Cut off before video due to nothing being said

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Steve Kovacs
08/20/2010 06:25

I think your site and videos are a real blessing to every citizen of this country, especially in Ocala Florida. Here in Ocala the police can arrest you for ANY reason. I've seen a Detective stop two young men and threaten to arrest them for for panhandling for gas money so they could get home then steal the money they had gotten and their own money and drive off, probably to buy himself a few drinks. I had a cop go ballistic on me during a search of a friend on my property because someone accused my friend of carrying a gun and driving with a stolen license plate. The cop searched my friend and found no gun and his plate was not stolen. The cop just walks away very angry. Months later I had two cops come to the house about something. They were very pleasant and I asked one if they were from Florida and she said no. I relayed to story about the first cop and she told me that he beat someone with a flashlight and Chief of Police William Samuels allowed to resign so he wouldn't lose his pension etc. Ocala is the worst city in Florida to live in be living in and I think every citizen should carry a gun.

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Jay Straw
09/20/2010 11:54

Great interview, I can't believe the MIAC report State has such a great police chief in one of its largest cities.

@Jeff King:

If a middle aged woman is committing a crime, she should be arrested. Simple.

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Antonio Mangione
09/22/2010 17:05

@jeff king

Is race the only unifying character? For instance do the poor commit more crimes than the rich or middle-class? What are the average education levels? Are there are drug (including alcohol) addiction or abuse histories? Furthermore what are those crimes you are talking about(violent/non-violent, Drugs, White Collar/Blue Collar, etc.)? Also we must distinguish from one-time offenders and repeats.

I only bring this up because from your point of view you are able to dictate localized police policy unilaterally. This seem to be impossible when so many factors are involved for each community. Small vs Big. For instance my small town is almost all White with a predominantly Italian and Jewish population. Who should the officers target then? Our crime (and yes there is crime here too) wouldn't apply to your thoughts. Police need to become a part of the community once again, not play the hawk.

Also you comments about a "dark-skinned, turban-wearing man" are disturbing. Not only are you insinuating race=criminal but now religion too. Muslim-Americans have been living here for decades and if I remember correctly, it was a white-skinned catholic veteran who committed the Oklahoma City Bombing. I hope that this is not your real name you posted with because your ignorance is truly embarrassing.

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antonio mangione
09/22/2010 17:08

Sorry for the grammatical error. "Is there a history of drug (including alcohol) addiction or abuse?" Now I can sleep tonight :)

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Ben Johnson
10/24/2010 20:10

This is truly brilliant, I really can't congratulate you enough. It's a deep, interesting and well contextualised interview.

The discussion on psychological aspects of racial profiling is especially excellent, along with nearly all the discussion about it. It gets to the heart of the matter without trivialising it.

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John
03/10/2011 10:42

I would appreciate yr feedback on this situation. A homeless friend was harassed by local police in Ocala Florida.. They found him sleeping behind a building that was vacant. They searched his backpack without a warrant,, they found two unopened beers which one of them opens and wanted arrest him for being homeless which in Ocala get's u sent to jail.. The cops stunned gunned him 3 times and took him to jail. The nurse wouldn't treat his as his blood pressure was over 300. The nurse told the cops to take to a hospital and upon examination the hospital's nurse told he had had a stroke. His speech is impaired...The cops Sargent, Sgt Hay, saw what happened at the jail and told the cops they were not going to arrest him because she knew the beers were not open but that one of the cops opened and emptied them... One of the cops stole his electric hair clipper and his nail clippers.
Question,,, Do homeless people have NO RIGHTS or CIVIL LIBERTIES and therefore subjected to a search and seizure by the Police ? ? ?

What about suing for permanent physical disability and damages, and illegal search????

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