Today, I thought that I would start this post off a little different from my first post.
Earlier on this week, I started my search for new, credible info regarding police brutality in an effort to figure out what I was going to write about. Originally, I thought that I would continue to discuss the history of police brutality from 2000 to the end of 2017, but I do not want my blog to get bogged down by discussing the past. The past cannot be changed. However, I can discuss the present and the possibilities of the future.
In this post, I will be discussing four of twenty-five ways that Shaun King (shown below), an American writer and Civil Rights activist, said would bring us a few steps closer to eradicating police brutality.
In 2015, he was a writer for the New York Daily News, and in December 2016, he was hired as a political commentator on The Young Turks.
During his time as a writer at the New York Daily News, Shaun King wrote a twenty-five part series where he analyzed police brutality and its causes and effects. At the end of each article, he would then suggest a way to solve the issue of police brutality.
As I said previously, I will be discussing four suggestions that I find the most interesting and thought-provoking.
- Police must be routinely and randomly tested for steroids and other illegal drugs.
- Now, when I first read this point on the list of the twenty-five, I balked, and then, I chuckled. I wanted to see data suggesting that police officers are avid steroid users. However, King made a great point; police officers are only drug tested once in their career, given that their actions do not stir up the suspicions of their superiors. Even professional athletes are drug tested more than police officers. Being that police officers are constantly surrounded by illegal narcotics, both on the streets and in their precincts, we expect officers to practice almost ethical perfection. We expect normal people to be able to deny temptations such as drugs and the ability to make a lot of money (selling drugs or accepting bribes) because it is their job. In return for making the “right” choice, police officers receive little in return.
- On paper, this seems like a good idea, but in real life, I do not think that it is very realistic, and honestly, I do not think that it would contribute much towards ending police brutality.
- Police must be required to earn four-year degrees–it changes everything.
- When I read this point, I instantly thought, “Who would not require the people who protect us and save thousands, maybe even millions, of lives to have at least a four-year degree?” It is blasphemous. As King said, if a cosmetologist is expected to receive post-secondary schooling, so should police officers! Also, apparently, “just under 1% of all law enforcement agencies in America require a four-year degree,” so all hope is not yet lost! Somewhere out there in America exists a couple precincts of academically qualified police officers.
- I definitely agree with this point. Education changes the world. Just from one semester in college, I have changed so much, and it makes me cringe at the thought that a majority of the officers who are employed to protect me did not receive that same educational change. Of course, it would be foolish of me to assume that they have not gone through a significant change being an officer of the law; however, I believe that the changes differ from one another.
- Take women from 12% of police to 50% of police– they are more professional, less brutal, and just as effective.
- As a woman, I will have to admit that I love this point. However, as a neutral person, I think that this point just plays into gender stereotypes. A corrupt woman is just as dangerous as a man, corrupt or not, maybe even more so. I support the move to hire more female officers, but I do not think this change would do much to end police brutality. Good ideas are good ideas, and more importantly, good actions are good actions, regardless of the gender of the individual committing it. If King had more evidence suggesting that female officers have helped stop instances of police brutality in the past, I would be more likely to seriously consider this as a possible solution, but honestly, he is just making speculations.
- Require cops to live in or near the areas they police. It’s too easy to mistreat strangers.
- I absolutely love this suggestion. Of course, there are some hang-ups with this point about the population of a city and having the space to house an entire precinct in any type of city, but Shaun King makes a fantastic point. So many police officers take a more legalistic perspective of law enforcement, and they do not focus as much on the community building aspect of law enforcement. Police officers are not only here to protect us, but they are also here to help us when no one else will. They are here to be our greatest ally, yet so many citizens of America view police officers as the enemy.
- It is fair to assume that the hatred of multiple communities hinders an investigation. Police officers need to work harder at being our neighbors, our protectors, and our teachers. They need to understand the communities that they patrol in and the members of that community. It would definitely be a considerable contribution to the end of police brutality.
Which point do you think would be the most effective in ending, or even lessening, police brutality?
Out of these four suggestions, I agree with you on the ones that could impact the severity of the police brutality problem in America. I feel that police officers should definitely have more education under their belt, especially when it comes to dealing with the law and the people who are breaking them. There must be so much more to it than what American police academies teach. I also feel that it would help greatly if police officers lived near where they police, since it is harder to mistreat those you live near. Also, a police officer might perform better (in my opinion) since it’s their community, and they want to improve it.
The suggestion that police should be drug tested comes from a good place, but I don’t think it’ll work well in the long run. It might work when it comes to corruption, but not exactly police brutality, although those could go hand in hand. The other suggestion for more women cops also comes from a good place, but once again, it can only do so much.
I thought their was some great points made in this point, so like you did I want to go through each point of your four. The first point about random drug testing is really important in my opinion. Cops addicted to drugs often make questionable decisions and can be caught in compromising positions that cause or force them to make unethical decisions or abuse their power. The second point about four year degrees is another beneficial move in my opinion. Besides further training, college also serves to subject people to a diverse group of people which can lessen biases within an officer. The point about women officers is one that I do not completely agree with. Women should receive equal opportunity, but people are people no matter what and to imply that women are more peaceful is a sexist analysis based on antiquated stereotypes.. The fourth type about living in the community they police has its merits, but I feel it is not he most efficient method. There are other more practical ways to integrate an officer into the community they serve. Requiring volunteerism in the community is one method as well as encouraging officers to take active roles in community groups such as local sports teams, community watches, and advisers to school groups. This alternative means that officers are still engaged in the community, while not living in the particular neighborhood they police which can be both logistically impossible and discouraging to a profession that can sometimes struggle to gather the numbers it needs.
This is really interesting, and definitely not something I would have thought of for a police brutality blog, but I’m glad you did! It gives a whole new perspective (and kind of like our deliberations) provokes thought about possible solutions, even ones that are not necessarily realistic, instead of kindling a debate. Really great job!
Personally I believe that the most effective point would be to have officers live in the area they are policing. There is an undeniable power in being part of a community and the trust it forms would benefit the police. It might be interesting to explore the possibility (if actually living in the community is not feasible) of requiring police officers to put in some community service hours in their respective zones. Things like volunteering at a youth center, picking up trash or, doing maintenance projects, etc. Something so that they have a vested interest in the community because they have put time and effort into it, not as a cop, but as a member of the community.
I am new to your blog and after reading this post I will be checking it out more often! I really enjoyed this post for numerous reasons. It is no news that police brutality is a huge issue in our world and there needs to be measures taken to make changes. I absolutely loved this post because it made great suggestions and opened my eyes to so many facts that I either were not aware of or after looked at through a new lens. Police officers are supposed to be protecting us from unsafe situations or harm, not causing them. Thanks for posting!