About the police

I have always been a fan of the police and never found a reason to disobey the law. I will admit however, that I do not drive slow. When I watch t.v., it’s in my opinion a good police show. I enjoy watching Cops, CSI-Miami, Criminal Minds, Columbo and Live PD. During my travels, I make it my business to get a picture of a police station, a squad car or an officer and sometimes I am lucky enough to be in the picture. In today’s climate there have been issues highlighting police in a negative light. The truth of this matter is simple; policing is NOT a job for all who accept it. For years there have been departmental issues that have been ignored from the chiefs on down to the patrolmen. Now let’s discuss some of the issues as we brace for change. Please also be mindful that it’s not ALL police.

Police Accountability: This is when individual police officers as well as the law enforcement agencies that host them are held responsible for bullying behaviors, intimidation tactics and misuse of force. Accountability also means that when grievances of police misconduct are filed they are thoroughly investigated and not ignored. Police have a responsibility as they deliver services of crime and control to maintain order and treat all citizens within the boundaries of the law. The public’s faith is maintained when the police are held accountable for misconduct.

Diversity: This is when departments recruit officers embracing a balance of ethnicities and are fair and equitable when promoting or assigning specialty positions. The specialized units in most departments are padded with friends of friends or family and are not the most qualified for the jobs they are hired to do. This practice in and of itself is a disaster waiting to happen. How can a department expect a stance of ethical policing when they do not practice ethical hiring.

Community Policing: This is when the police officers focus on building relationships within the neighborhoods they are servicing. The primary goal is to work with the community to identify potential problems and to be proactive in minimizing crimes, which has the power to improve the quality of life within that community.

Training Classes: This is where police officers should go to learn a specific skill set in order to enhance their on the job performance. However, due to manpower issues and lack of available overtime hours this is not always the case. In fact, as technology continues to evolve more departments are relying more frequently on the convience of online training. When face to face interactions are eliminated, sometimes the learning tends to be ineffective. Besides, all classes can not be taught online.

I have had brief phone conversations with four different municipalities concerning policing in Washington, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Chicago. All of which were very reluctant to speak with me and even accused me of being an activist. I was not offended, quite understanding given the present climate.
My overall opinion of the police is that we all need to be willing to work together if we ever expect to see real change. Yes,there are some bad police that are trigger happy cowards that seem to feel as though they are above the law. Yes, there are some bad police that lie out of fear in hopes of holding down the black man by any means necessary. Even to death. BUT, all police officers are not the same. There are some officers that operate with integrity and compassion and treat citizens with respect. There are some police officers that go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily bases risking life and limb to protect citizens in communities that do not even respect each other. This brings quite a challenge to an officer that is doing the right thing.

I have cried over the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Taylor, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Michelle Cusseaux, Freddy Gray, Tanisha Fonville, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, Gabriella Nevarez, Tamar Rice, Michael Brown, and Tanisha Anderson, all who died at the hands of a white police officer. I am sad to say that this is only part of a list.

I have also cried over Father’s Day weekend in Chicago where it has been confirmed that a total of 104 were shot including 15 fatally, not at the hands of white police officers but at the hands of other blacks. When I hear this on the radio or see this on the news, it takes my breath away and “I can’t breathe”. I am outraged and protesting on my knees in prayer crying out to God to deliver us all. Praying for change. When will blacks stop killing blacks? Wake up, stay conscious.