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be used as a training tool to improve officers’ performance. Us-
ing the video, an officer’s actions can be critiqued after the fact,
resulting in suggestions for improving inappropriate behavior.
Progress and Peril
From community policing initiatives to improved policies to
implementing the latest high-tech equipment, law enforcement
agencies throughout the United States are making an effort to
do a better job of serving their communities. And they are being
aided by activists who, though once ardent critics of the police,
now work hand in hand with them to improve relationships be-
tween police officers and their community. There is no doubt
that this is a monumental task, as there is a large gap between
those who fear and mistrust police and those who work as
police officers. In time, it is hoped, these strategies will make
a positive difference. That hope is the one thing people on all
sides of this issue share.
