What do you think policing will look like in the future?

[Parxland]

With what's been happening in the world with the worldwide protest movement against US racism, and radical calls for defunding police departments or replacing conventional police departments with new systems of public safety I want to create a thread to discuss chat about what policing in the future is going to look like. Some of you may not realize this, but law & order as we know it today in the western world didn't exist until very recently in history. I'll link to a youtube video by a channel called extra credits, which discusses the history of how modern policing came to be in london, before that model was exported around the globe. You can watch the series here.

What I want to take away from this is an idea of what substantial ideas (that's not based in shitty politics) could be floating around when discussing what might replace the current model of policing in the United States so I can get a better grasp of how the future might look. I want to know if policing is going to get better or worse, will policing and society become more racially divided from this point forward, will crimes happen more frequently, and will I need to own and carry a firearm for the foreseeable future?

[Slavakino]

Too soft to stop criminals or too soft of "protected people" to the point they get violent with the majority (AKA what happens with Victoria Police in Australia)

[Prizea]

I think the answer is probably “It depends”.

Even just limiting it to the US, it’s not a thing that is likely to change on the federal level and so your mileage may very much vary depending on what state and locality you are in, such that broad strokes predictions are hard to make.

[HypErcApitAl]

Technocracy/Cyberpunk-style Automata Law Enforcement, so we'd have AI and other Automatons enforcing the law, since Humans are so stupid in enforcing the laws that they make. I'm not a fan of Robocop, but I feel like Androids or Synths would make way better decisions. (and ofc we need to be wary of Technology in this regard, but we can't be Karens and say: "Technology is trash!")

I like cops the way they are, rn, but the whole Automata thing is an idea. (especially as we're getting closer w/ Robotics and other advancements in Tech)

[Parxland]

Too soft to stop criminals or too soft of "protected people" to the point they get violent with the majority (AKA what happens with Victoria Police in Australia)

Basically that's worst case scenario?

[Atheris]

Hopefully it doesn't change for the worse. Let's hope for less police brutality.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Technocracy/Cyberpunk-style Automata Law Enforcement, so we'd have AI and other Automatons enforcing the law, since Humans are so stupid in enforcing the laws that they make. I'm not a fan of Robocop, but I feel like Androids or Synths would make way better decisions. (and ofc we need to be wary of Technology in this regard, but we can't be Karens and say: "Technology is trash!")

I like cops the way they are, rn, but the whole Automata thing is an idea. (especially as we're getting closer w/ Robotics and other advancements in Tech)

I think this will happen eventually, but there will be a transitional phase rather like ... yeah, Robocop.

Civilians aren't going to trust AI for a long time, longer than it will take for AI to be versatile and intelligent enough to perform policing without supervision. Robotics will get there first: humanoid cop robots mostly controlled by a human brain in a lightly armored vehicle nearby. Just as brutal and limited in good judgement as cops are currently, but as if that's not bad enough, they will have lightning reflexes, 360 degree vision, and enormous strength. Probably a range of lethal and non-lethal weapons, basically Robocop. Maybe the human controller will learn to be responsible with that power, but experience with human control of military drones isn't encouraging.

But just get past that stage, get some good AI on board the robot, and relegate the human to role of supervisor (able to veto actions of the robotic cop but not initiate them) and you're well on the way to the ideal cop with such good AI it can exercise discretion, perform arrests (if necessary) without any pain or injury, and even be recognized as a witness in court.

Perhaps the trickiest issue is whether such an advanced AI has the right to kill in self-defense. I think this should be strongly forbidden (for cop AI's), but other than the vague prescription of Asimov's first law, I don't know enough about AI to know if it could be done.

[Luziyca]

Hopefully it doesn't change for the worse. Let's hope for less police brutality.

Honestly, if police forces stay the way they are, particularly in America, they probably will have more police brutality.

[Neanderthaland]

"You have violated the terms of service of this cyber-body, and your account will be suspended pending appeal."

or

"Lower the weapon, you have 20 seconds to comply."


Which is worse?

[Nobel Hobos 2]

"You have violated the terms of service of this cyber-body, and your account will be suspended pending appeal."

or

"Lower the weapon, you have 20 seconds to comply."


Which is worse?

It should be legal to shoot at a robocop, but only a safe target on its chest or back. If the villain fires but misses, that's a firearms offence. "Lousy Aim, 1st, 2nd or 3rd Degree" with 1st degree being "missed the whole robocop, endanger civilians".

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

"You have violated the terms of service of this cyber-body, and your account will be suspended pending appeal."

or

"Lower the weapon, you have 20 seconds to comply."


Which is worse?

The former, IMO. I'd rather not get my consciousness ejected into the oblivion and/or deleted because I didn't read the fine print.

[Bassoe]

In the short term, it'll divide based on income. The wealthy will employ private security/mercenaries, while the poor will be stuck with 'defunded' police, social workers being sent to resolve disputes and 'community policing' gangs. This state of affairs will continue until the crime-pocalypse causes a repetition of eighties-style Tough On Crime™ narratives and politicians are elected who ram through miscellaneous authoritarianism in the name of being Tough On Crime™. Which was the intention from the start, the politicians wanted an excuse for more authoritarianism and to break up police unions/steal their pensions.

In the long term, as soon as the technology is invented, it'll consist of unemployed-by-automation rioters getting gunned down by Boston Dynamics ED-209s when they they protest as opposed to starving in peace.

[Dumb Ideologies]

Less police brutality, more privately hired security brutality as the rich take offence at efforts to shift towards rehabilitative law and cautious capture and enforcement policies.

[Raider Clans]

Hopefully through biker gangs.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Hopefully through biker gangs.

Are you looking to pay off that expensive Harley you bought?

[Nakena]

Private Police forces and Coprorate Security fitting to a post-trumpian cyberpunk dystopia.

[Raider Clans]

Hopefully through biker gangs.

Are you looking to pay off that expensive Harley you bought?

Maybe

[Risottia]

what might replace the current model of policing in the United States

Outsource the police training to foreign police forces that don't have such a high ratio of wanton killing per inhabitant.

[Nakena]

what might replace the current model of policing in the United States

Outsource the police training to foreign police forces that don't have such a high ratio of wanton killing per inhabitant.

Carabinieri?

[Risottia]

Outsource the police training to foreign police forces that don't have such a high ratio of wanton killing per inhabitant.

Carabinieri?

Any first-world police force would do. Carabinieri, Polizia di Stato, RCMP, any German Landespolizei, Gendarmerie, Police Nationale, Metropolitan Police... just to name a few.

[Nevertopia]

I think policing will be a college+ level degree of education and will fall under social work more than deterrence by force.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

I think policing will be a college+ level degree of education and will fall under social work more than deterrence by force.

Well that sounds good. It's a high 'barrier to entry' though, which should be reduced by public funding of the course.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

Something more like moderation here. People watching footage from cameras somewhere far from them and publicly shaming anyone committing acts of antisocial behaviour.

[Zapato]

what might replace the current model of policing in the United States

Outsource the police training to foreign police forces that don't have such a high ratio of wanton killing per inhabitant.

Not a bad idea to use police forces with actual police training.

[Nazis in Space]

Something like this.

Note that Dredd actually announces himself and tells people to surrender and drop their weapons before drawing his own.

Carabinieri?

Any first-world police force would do. Carabinieri, Polizia di Stato, RCMP, any German Landespolizei, Gendarmerie, Police Nationale, Metropolitan Police... just to name a few.

RCMP/Canada doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to minorities, tbh.