Growing tension between the public and the police is exacerbated by the inability of the public to express a collective opinion about the effectiveness of local police.
The federal government could collect and report community ratings of police forces. A poll (e.g., letter grade or questionnaire) could be mandated for local elections, collected by the FEC, and reported for every community as a public database.
Benefits:
Utilizes existing resources to provide a centralized, reliable information source.
Informs research, such as regional comparisons and the effectiveness of programs such as body cameras.
Forces problematic communities to address the specific community concerns that cause poor metrics. Applies competitive pressure among communities to improve their police forces.