There are roughly 800,000 cops in the United States...

[defacto7]

76. My statement was general, not specific to you.

You certainly did not suggest that there aren't problems to fix. My last paragraph was also a universal "you" not specific to you personally; it could probably have been said better.

I agree with the idea that rhetoric concerning the police as a general negative is too broad. But I also see a trend that is moving through the law enforcement ranks that is almost pandemic, so I see both sides of the argument as valid to a point.

My addition to the argument is that the numbers don't tell us what we need to know to fix the issues. They tell us a basic story of a problematic society in general and that part of that problem is within th law enforcement community. If the numbers are useful it would be as a measurement of change upward of downward in time but it would not tell us what the problem is, it tells us only the results, although that is useful information it has little actual value.

The problem lies in the philosophy and application of law enforcement and the judicial system. That is where emphasis should be made. There are very successful law enforcement systems in other countries and I would like to think the US could embrace them... but America right now isn't known for it's ability to learn from other's success. The US and State governments would rather beat their own system harder and harder to make their failed system work no matter the cost or stupidity of it. It's the political ego that's at stake and America seems to think the ego is more important than success even if it kills us.

We need to learn to embrace what works and rid ourselves of what is faulty or the problems with law enforcement will continue to increase.