Our police state needs a complete overhaul – not just incremental reforms here and there. There's been lots of traction on social media about the idea of defunding the police and while it sounds a bit crazy at first ("WhAt AbOuT mUrDeReRs??!"), it's actually a very practical solution to a horrific problem.
Obviously this isn't something you do overnight, but the idea is that you divest the resources that are currently militarizing our police and you invest in solutions that actually work – mental health care, social services, etc. Our police budgets are extremely bloated, and even if people weren't getting murdered and/or brutalized by overzealous cops, it would make a lot more sense to spend money on preventative measures like safe housing, help for the homeless, child care for working families, etc.
Why should an armed police officer show up when a homeless man takes a piss on the sidewalk? Why shouldn't that man get some actual help instead of getting tossed in the clink? Why should I get pulled over by two cops with guns when I have a taillight that burns out?
Some police should be trained to respond to violent offenders, but we should absolutely have more community-based solutions and employ people who are capable of providing empathetic, practical solutions to non-violent problems.
I have had very few issues where I have had to call the cops, thank goodness, but in those rare cases where I actually felt like I needed help from the police, not once has that call resulted in anything but disrespect and fear from the responding officers. I'm a white dude and I'm extremely loathe to call the police; I can't imagine what women or people of color think of asking the police for help.