Complicit

I honestly believe that 90% or more of all police officers around the United States are good people trying to do a very hard job as best they can. The bad apples that shoot people (usually PoC) with little to no provocation, who plant evidence on suspects (even when wearing body cameras that catch them in the act), and are generally hate-filled assholes are very much in the minority.

However.

Every single "good cop" is absolutely complicit in the deaths (murders, really) of PoC and others. Every single "good cop" is absolutely complicit in the planting of evidence. Every good cop is complicit in the action of the hate-filled assholes. Why? Because they allow it to happen and hide behind the "blue line" and their union when it happens. And, because of that, these rogue cops, these bad apples, these hate-filled assholes get away with it. Good cops look the other way, subtly (or grossly) change their testimonies during inquests and trials, and hide behind the union's statement on the matter. They think, "It might be me one day." Well, no. If you stay honest, continue to follow the rules, and never act or become an asshole, it should never be you!

A job as contentious as police officer needs a union, and a strong one. There are plenty of people who wish ill-will toward the police and will accuse them of all manner of things. At the same time, however, the police need to have one of the staunchest policies to root out bad apples. It should be the highest honor to be nominated for Internal Affairs within the police department, not a badge of shame. Every police officer should be encouraged to turn in any other officer that crosses any of the lines that police officers face every day and should get citations and commendations for doing so.

And, when we have a video of police officers kneeling on a completely subdued man's throat until he's dead, the police union should be some of the first to decry the action and should lead the charge to fire that officer and any officer who is present and doesn't help the choking man.

When we have a video that clearly shows a police officer drawing his weapon and firing when there is no obvious reason to do so, the police officers of his station and his union should be first in line to ask for summary punishment up to and including criminal charges against that officer.

Instead of sending police officers to classes that teach them that everyone else is prey and they are the predators hunting for wrongdoers, we should be sending officer to de-escalation courses.

Instead of emphasizing any sort of "war" on the people they serve, police officers and their unions should be emphasizing protection, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Instead of the latest armament and tank, the police should be purchasing more non-lethal subduing implements and courses.

In, I'm guessing, well more than 90% of all police work on a day-to-day basis, police don't need firearms of any sort. They don't need those heavy flak-jackets. They don't need riot gear, shields, tanks, teargas, explosives. If that's the case, then why do most police officers have that equipment?

It used to be that cops were those who protected and served on a daily basis. They needed little more than their badge, handcuffs, and the occasional use of a gun or pepper spray. When you need a more military-style response to a situation, you called in SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics). The "special weapons" part was that they had the military gear. They trained in the tactics to overcome the special situation that only occasionally arise in the course of normal police work. Now that every cop has a semi-automatic to a fully automatic weapon, armor, and other special gear, what does SWAT do?

As the old saying does, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Now that the police are practically an arm of the military, they are acting like the military. They see everything as a military engagement, they escalate with overwhelming force in split-second timing regardless of whether it is a domestic dispute with no weapons or a bank robbery with fully armed and armored robbers. They act like SWAT because they are armed like SWAT. They see everything as a nail because they have been given some pretty big hammers and nothing else. It's time we start taking the hammer away and give then some pliers, wrenches, and maybe a screwdriver!

The police already have separate groups within their organization that have special training. Investigators solve crimes. SWAT is (supposed to be) the tactical response to special situations. Maybe now we need to say that the everyday beat cop needs nothing more than some non-lethal responses, training on how to de-escalate and resolve conflicts, and the ability to write tickets.

It all comes down to: what do we need the police to do? Do we need the average, everyday cop to be like the military and provide a military-style response? Or do we need them to help find stolen bikes, diffuse domestic disputes, and protect those who need protection?

If we take away the cops' instruments of war, they will have to seek other solutions to problems. If we make it a badge of honor to weed out the bad apples, the public will trust the cops more. If we give them the tools to use conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques, fewer interactions with the public will make the nightly news (and for all the wrong reasons, typically). 

Ask yourself, "What do I need the police for?" You may find that "fight a war" against people of color, those with mental health issues, the homeless people, and others is not the answer.