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Back to To the Point

To the Point

What's It Like to Be a Cop in America?

There are some 680,000 sworn police officers in the United States. Thanks to a year of cellphone videos spread on social media, "every one of them has had to answer, in one way or another, for the actions of colleagues they will never meet."

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By Warren Olney • Aug 24, 2015 • 33m Listen

There are some 680,000 sworn police officers in the United States. Thanks to a year of cellphone videos spread on social media, "every one of them has had to answer, in one way or another, for the actions of colleagues they will never meet." Such videos of shootings, beatings and apparent racial profiling have reduced public confidence in police all over the country. When every local encounter has the potential for national news coverage, street cops say, "Everything is just harder." Many departments are engaging in damage control by re-training officers to think of themselves as guardians, rather than warriors. But critics say that's not enough -- that the justice system is rigged in the cops' favor, and the only true reform is to hold them accountable.

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

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    Benjamin Gottlieb

    Reporter, Fill-in Host

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    Jenny Hamel

    KCRW

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    Paul von Zielbauer

    Producer, 'To the Point'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Karl Vick

    Time Magazine

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    Charles Huth

    Kansas City, Missouri Police Department

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    Redditt Hudson

    National Coalition of Law Enforcement Officers for Justice, Reform and Accountability

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