Not to denigrate Anchorage’s efforts, but it’s one thing to smile, wave and give away bus tokens in a city in Alaska - quite another to create trust, fairness, and justice in a city like…say…Cleveland, St. Louis, or Philadelphia. That will require a nation-wide change in attitude, practices, and expectations over a generation or two.
My thoughts were similar, canyoncountry. There is nothing at all wrong with spreading more kindness and good on Anchorage for taking a step in a positive direction.
Let’s hope that the stranger’s meal they’re paying for is, say, a homeless person or someone in a drug- and/or crime-heavy part of town. And maybe sit down with that person and just have a chat about how those who at one time were called “peace officers” can help with neighborhood issues. Yeah, ask a homeless person how police can help in his/her “neighborhood”. It sounds weird, but how many times do you think the homeless are addressed as regular members of society?
It’s unlikely that retirement homes and children’s hospitals are going to have much if any friction with the police. Get out of your comfort zone and see how the most downtrodden and likely-to-be-arrested folks are living. And ask how you can help.