As police unions slam New York’s mayor, could the city be losing faith in its cops? - Kate Andrews argues 'yes' in the CityAM Forum

Communications Manager at the Adam Smith Institute, Kate Andrews, argues that the trust between police officers and citizens is disintegrating in areas like New York City in the CityAM Forum.

The death of Eric Garner, after an incident with police officers, has become a national tragedy in the US, in part because Americans know it wasn’t isolated. The New York Daily News found that at least 179 people were killed by on-duty New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in the last 15 years. Only three deaths led to an indictment in the state court. One officer has been convicted for killing a civilian, and he didn’t serve jail time.

Currently, the national media is running almost-daily stories about policy brutality throughout the States, and the long-held view that police officers are taking advantage of their power is spreading. The shooting of two NYPD police officers over the weekend did not bring the police and protesters together in solidarity, but escalated tensions and encouraged finger pointing.

The police feel stereotyped. The public feels brutalised. Trust between law enforcement and the communities it serves is fundamentally fraying.

Read the full debate here.