Police gun violence is glorified on screen. But more armed and aggressive policing doesn’t actually make us safer

Mon, 9 Jan 2023 19:10:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/police-gun-violence-is-glorified-on-screen-but-more-armed-and-aggressive-policing-doesnt-actually-make-us-safer-195920>

"American popular culture dominates international markets. Among its most
enduringly successful products are police dramas and movies. Many of these
feature frequent and overwhelmingly positive depictions of police gun violence
– a popular example, and a favourite at this time of year, is Die Hard.

These works are, of course, fictions. But popular fictional depictions of
policing can have real-world consequences for police and communities.

Our new book chapter, published in November, argues that continued exposure to
frequently repeated media tropes and narratives can affect public perceptions
and expectations of policing.

In many parts of the world, policing is becoming more militarised. Even in
Great Britain and New Zealand, two of the small number of jurisdictions where
police do not routinely carry firearms, the appetite for armed policing has
increased. This shift is justified by police in the name of ensuring safety.

But there’s no clear empirical evidence that routinely armed police are less
likely to be killed or injured in the line of duty, or that communities whose
police routinely carry firearms are safer.

On the contrary: our research indicates that a more armed and aggressive style
of policing is associated with lower levels of safety."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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