America’s police are in the spotlight as recent high-profile incidents have raised questions about use of force, racial profiling and the potential militarization of police departments. Marketplace Radio’s eight-part series Behind The Blue Line: The cost of a changing police force examines both the financial and the societal costs of American policing today. We challenge assumptions by reporting on the flawed process of counting the number of civilian deaths at the hands of police and by exploring whether efforts to diversify police departments actually make a positive difference when policing in communities of color. Our series considers workplace issues, such as officer training and police stress on the job. Marketplace delves into economic considerations: the effect and cost of increasing technology in the workplace, and how this trend is changing police culture. Finally, we explore how shrinking public budgets have contributed to a growth in the private policing industry.
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