As of late, some United States law enforcement officers have exhibited undeniable incompetency through their harsh interactions with citizens, in large part with the Black community. The tragic loss of these lives at the hands of perhaps ill-trained officers who should be leading our communities—rather than tearing them apart—is inexcusable. Police reform is a necessity that our country yearns for. By recommitting to the conservative principles that undergird this nation, our police forces will be better able to serve and protect American citizens.
First, conservatism promotes respect for our inalienable rights and the Constitution. We Americans champion our inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That means that the institutions that are meant to protect us and our rights should not compromise them; rather, they should promote them. The police department should emphasize these principles as the foundation for their organization to a greater extent than they do now. Hence, before going on to become an officer, it should be distinctly clear that the potential officer is committed to these principles without question. They should clearly be the paradigm for someone who adheres to the precedent of the Constitution. Put into practice, this would mean that law enforcement officers treat every life with the utmost respect. Our inalienable rights should serve as the conscious foundation by which officers act. A commitment to the Constitution is vital in order for them to truly protect and serve.
Among the other tenets of conservatism is a respect for authority. This includes the respect that ordinary US citizens should have for law enforcement officers, but it also means that officers should respect the higher ideals that shape our nation. The understanding that officers are not in and of themselves the law is a requisite to being able to serve well as one. This fervent commitment to our Constitution and inalienable rights as a higher authority implies unyielding patriotism. Conservatism promotes American exceptionalism, which when put into practice, would endow officers with the understanding that our country and its people are to be protected above all else. Anything done to harm them should be a last resort in pursuit of self-defense in accordance with the rule of law.
Lastly, an emphasis on tradition will further American patriotism and the commitment towards protecting our country and its principles. Traditional American values at their core, employed in an enlightened 21st century, are necessary in order for a united nation to move forward and do better. This is why a call for police reform, and not complete abolition, is necessary. The system can be reformed in a manner that places value on the Constitution and the ideals that led to our being the first nation to choose itself––the first to choose to endow its people with inalienable rights and a democracy that protects us from our own government. We are a government by the people and for the people, and our police force should be as well.
I must conclude by assuring readers that this article was not written as a promotion of a partisan, Conservative police force. Instead, it was written to show how tenets of conservative ideology may prove useful when looking at ways to reform the police force. Reaffirming these principles through more pointed reforms will hopefully make for a police force that exudes mutual respect.