Police Reform and Community Service

Abstract

This paper offers a strategy to minimize police-civilian clashes by focusing on the "serve" portion of "protect and serve." After reviewing the extensive range of proposals to modify the “protect” function, the paper suggests routing “service” functions--police duties that do not involve guns or handcuffs-- to a newly-formed Civilian Community Service Corps, modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the New Deal.

Keywords: police, race, community service, police reform, participatory democracy

JEL Classification: K42