Local police and sheriff’s deputies are in the news every day. They are under scrutiny like never before and stereotypes about them and the way the perform their duties abound. News coverage and the proliferation of tools such as cellphone and body cameras make their work more visible, even as police per capita is shrinking. This guide focuses on local policing. As police departments nationwide show renewed interest in growing trust, accountability and transparency, they are a good subject for the Bias Busters series, published by the Journalism School at Michigan State University.
