I'm sick of reading peoples comments “There are good ones and there are bad ones” under police abuse videos. It's simple the entire system of Policing in America is bad- that's not a judgment on all officers, but the system that violent criminal officers is in itself bad. It's a shame that the “good” officers are a part of that system. When people dismiss the bad behavior of police (especially when it's caught on film) it helps perpetuate the culture of lawless violence that has developed in policing.
Policing is out of control. Officers are above the law and they know it. Officers have so many tools- including military weapons- which they deploy against citizens that it boggles my mind. Police are trained and instructed to use intimidation tactics especially around free speech, or when they are being filmed. This is all wrong.
How many times do you see a video on the news of police beating someone only to be told it is “under investigation” but that the officer's chief has stated that the officer “acted within policy”? If that's the case then how can it be under investigation- given that the not guilty verdict has already been issued? Officers are very seldom held accountable even drastic illegal actions. This is the “policy” and it's a bad one.
If there are so many good officers around why don't they arrest the violent illegal bad ones? I understand that the police is a gang and you don't go after members of your own gang... but the police are public servants sworn to uphold the law- to serve and protect, and their authority comes from our trust in their judgment and honesty. To often this trust is betrayed. I have spoken with many officers, and I respect them. They have a difficult dangerous job. I will be the first to say that the majority of the officers I’ve dealt with in my life have fallen into the “good” category, so either that's my good luck or most officers are decent people. If there are more “good” officers than “bad” why are bad officers tolerated?
The only person you can change is yourself, so any change begins within. To change the system of abuse by police we must be ready to change ourselves. We must become a community because together we are strong. We must film (legally) any police interactions we witness or are part of. We must publish them and we must seek to press charges, or sue police departments. Change can be built this way because the more people who film and put pressure on the system the more transparent it will become. The more people who stand up and press charges the more monsters we take off the street, and the more lawsuits we win the more expensive it becomes for the police system to operate brutally. Ultimately if we work together we can have a police force that knows it is being scrutinized and knows it will be held accountable. The “good” officers will obviously not need to worry, and we will have a clear document of their good deeds.
Don't make excuses for bad officers and bad police policy, and don't blame the victims of police abuse.
Remember if you see something film something.
Policing is out of control. Officers are above the law and they know it. Officers have so many tools- including military weapons- which they deploy against citizens that it boggles my mind. Police are trained and instructed to use intimidation tactics especially around free speech, or when they are being filmed. This is all wrong.
How many times do you see a video on the news of police beating someone only to be told it is “under investigation” but that the officer's chief has stated that the officer “acted within policy”? If that's the case then how can it be under investigation- given that the not guilty verdict has already been issued? Officers are very seldom held accountable even drastic illegal actions. This is the “policy” and it's a bad one.
If there are so many good officers around why don't they arrest the violent illegal bad ones? I understand that the police is a gang and you don't go after members of your own gang... but the police are public servants sworn to uphold the law- to serve and protect, and their authority comes from our trust in their judgment and honesty. To often this trust is betrayed. I have spoken with many officers, and I respect them. They have a difficult dangerous job. I will be the first to say that the majority of the officers I’ve dealt with in my life have fallen into the “good” category, so either that's my good luck or most officers are decent people. If there are more “good” officers than “bad” why are bad officers tolerated?
The only person you can change is yourself, so any change begins within. To change the system of abuse by police we must be ready to change ourselves. We must become a community because together we are strong. We must film (legally) any police interactions we witness or are part of. We must publish them and we must seek to press charges, or sue police departments. Change can be built this way because the more people who film and put pressure on the system the more transparent it will become. The more people who stand up and press charges the more monsters we take off the street, and the more lawsuits we win the more expensive it becomes for the police system to operate brutally. Ultimately if we work together we can have a police force that knows it is being scrutinized and knows it will be held accountable. The “good” officers will obviously not need to worry, and we will have a clear document of their good deeds.
Don't make excuses for bad officers and bad police policy, and don't blame the victims of police abuse.
Remember if you see something film something.
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