A veteran police officer says both the shooting of Michael Brown and the aftermath in Ferguson point to the need for conversation about police and community in the U.S.https://brightblueline.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/hereandnow_0825_police-ferguson-bueermann.mp3
Jim Bueermann is president of the Police Foundation, a nonpartisan and nonprofit group that supports innovation and improvement in policing. Bueerman worked for the police department in Redlands, California, for 33 years, serving in every position, including as chief of police.
Bueermann tells Here & Now’s Sacha Pfeiffer that policing is a joint activity in which the community is a necessary partner, and police departments need to reflect the communities they serve.
He warns against prejudging in the Michael Brown case, saying that even unarmed civilians can be dangerous and that the public should wait for a full investigation of what happened.
But, Bueermann says once the shooting happened, officials should have been much more transparent about the case.
Guest
Jim Bueermann, president of the Police Foundation, a nonpartisan and nonprofit group that supports innovation and improvement in policing.