It seems like police chiefs, at least, are beginning to get the message that a "shoot first, pay settlements later" standard for police conduct is not what their citizenry really want.
Nobody wants police officers hurt or killed. By the same token, it really does seem that cops have been trained to protect themselves above all other considerations, and the legal system has supported that training by rarely prosecuting such use of force. That's simply not right, and it's going to take a lot to change that mindset. This conference seems to have been a first, small step.
Police chiefs consider dramatic reforms to officer tactics, training to prevent so many shootings
Top police officials gather in D.C. to discuss how to prevent so many police-involved shootings.
Plus a better recruiting process that's more rigorous might help
+Dekks Herton A good recruiting process is certainly necessary. But I think part of the problem is the training — http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/us/training-officers-to-shoot-first-and-he-will-answer-questions-later.html discusses the emphasis in "Shoot first or else you will die horribly" training that, I think, adds to the problem.