More than a dozen after-action reports on police handling of last summer's racial-justice demonstrations provided "a damning indictment of police forces that were poorly trained, heavily militarized and stunningly unprepared," the N.Y. Times reports (subscription).
- Why it matters: "[T]he problems highlighted in the reports are fundamental to modern American policing, a demonstration of the aggressive tactics that had infuriated ... protesters to begin with."
Go deeper: 115-page investigation of NYPD response ... 102-page investigation of LAPD response (both free).
Bessette/Pitney’s AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: DELIBERATION, DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP reviews the idea of "deliberative democracy." Building on the book, this blog offers insights, analysis, and facts about recent events.