The Community Can Bring About an End to the Police as We Know It

(Atlanta Blackstar)  Observing all of the activity coming out of the U.S. Department of Justice these days, it seems the feds are now in the business of cleaning up police departments or at least telling the police about their business. Will things change as a result, and should the community play a more active role in policing?

The DOJ investigated the Cleveland Police Department and released a report that found that the police had a pattern of using unreasonable and unnecessary force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, including deadly force, Tasers and chemical spray, excessive force against the mentally ill and dangerous tactics that place civilians and officers at risk. The feds told the Cleveland police to stop beating people upside the head with their guns.

Return to Cleveland spotlights urban problems

The decision by NBA player LeBron James to leave the Miami Heat and return home to the Cleveland Cavaliers is a testament to his character and holds lessons for us all.

Cleveland is not the type of place that people usually return to once they've hit the big time.

In 2010, Cleveland topped Forbes' list of most miserable cities, with high unemployment and a loss of manufacturing jobs, a massive foreclosure problem, abandoned homes, poorly performing schools, crime, and pollution.