How to Fight Police Brutality

Recently there has been a lot of controversy about the cops who have been killed in Oakland. In the comments on our story, some people seemed to gloat over the fact that cops were killed.

There is a difference between a cop killing an African American and an African American killing a cop. Police are fully aware that they have a dangerous job in which they may get killed or injured dealing with criminals when they sign up for the job. Criminals whether they be black or white do not represent the black community but police do represent the government. Black citizens did not sign up for being at risk for police brutality or killings.

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When unarmed peaceful civilians are killed by the police, they are being killed by agents of the government that is supposed to represent them. It is a failure of government that must be addressed.

In several other BP stories on police brutality, I always read the comments and recognize a lot of the anger however it must channeled more effectively than saying f- the police or calling them pigs or gloating over police killings. If this anger is channeled correctly we can take action to reduce the amount of police brutality. If this anger is channeled incorrectly it can result into a war with the police that will only cause more violence and brutality.

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The way to stop police brutality is through non-violent protest, the media and diplomacy. Police stations, city hall and other government venues must be protested against and marched on after every incident of police brutality. We must use our cameras every time police harass us to catch them in the act. Then we can use the internet and the media to expose these actions worldwide. In their heyday the Black Panthers had a police watch and would follow the police with a camera and record their actions. Now that cameras are so cheap and people have cameras on their phones, it is now a lot easier to hold the police accountable for their action.

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Politicians who do not address issues like police brutality must be voted out of office. Rappers should be spending a lot less time glamorizing black on black crime and dissing each other and more time documenting police brutality. African American entertainers and activists have a strong voice in America and they must use that voice to fight the problems in our community.

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We also must use moderate police organizations to work with the police to stop police brutality. Groups like 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement have done a lot to combat police brutality and people should work with them as an intermediary to deal with community issues with the police.

Also we need to take legal action as well. The best way to hurt police brutality is by hitting them in the pocket. If the police keep on getting sued for brutality they'll be forced to deal with the issue. Every incident of police brutality should be reported to both the government and the media.

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Black people pay taxes and therefore they also pay police salaries. Police should be in the communities to serve and protect not to harass and arrest. The war on drugs is really a war on the black community. Black people are treated like insurgents in occupied territory and not citizens in need of protection. We need to address how the war on drugs has become a war on black males that has caused more problems than it has helped.

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Its not enough to be angry at law enforcement and saying F-the Police. We must channel our anger into actions that will stop police brutality in the future.

Comments

[policingroundtable]

In NYC, a group of advocates has been fighting police brutality by attempting to focus attention on the frequent (low level, compared to many of the incidents referenced in this piece) police misconduct that doesn't get press but affects residents deeply. The New York City Policing Roundtable (NYCPR) fosters continuing relationships between civil rights attorneys, community organizers, advocates, community members, and others who work to end police misconduct.

NYCPR members believe that organizing around highly publicized and severe acts of police misconduct, or pursuing piecemeal litigation strategies for the compensation of individual plaintiffs, have not led to sustained reforms in the operations of the New York City Police Department. Therefore, NYCPR seeks to create consistent links between advocates, organizers, and community members, and a steady drumbeat of combined voices calling for improved policing.

[breakfast]

How about a law making it clear that anyone with a camera (or a voice recorder) is free to record actions of public officials at any time and in any situation. Police, especially, must be made to understand that they can not grab some citizens camera and destroy it or confiscate it, not ever and not for any reason.

It is supposed to be a free country, so such a law should not be necessary......but it is.

[Haditup2here]

Thank you for this article. It is head on. I wish there was a way to push this to the forefront. While issues such as health care, the economy, and even the environment is inclusive of all Americans, police brutality and profiling seems to be exclusive to Blacks (with the exception of the profiling of those of Arabic descent after 9/11). Although I am much in agreement with BO and have supported him despite the grandstanding of Tavis Smiley and others during the primaries, I do think the Black community, unfortunately, will have to hold his feet to the fire in confronting this issue -especially after his effort to explain away Holder's comments which I think was just and not specifically addressed to any one particular group.
I would also like to give you props for actually mapping out an outline and plan to resolve a serious issue.
Too many so-called Black Leaders and Spokespersons are good at pointing out problems, but can never lay out any solutions.

[TimDanMick]

Many civil libertarians complain about surveillance cameras spying on the population but time and again we see that it is the police who are caught out by these cameras. All police cars and interviews should be recorded as standard. If citizens know that events are recorded near or in a police car and the police will have to function within an atmosphere of accountability.

[GovtCheese]

I absolutely agree that police brutality must be addressed, but our arguments are diminished when people begin comparing the murder of Oscar Grant, a man shot laying face down on a BART platform to Lovell Dixon, who began his murderous killing spree not just shooting two officers, but he walked up to two these officers while they lay wounded in the street and shot them in the head, he then ran to his sister’s house, where there was a teenager in the house, he hid in a closet and shot two more officers.

[StValentine]

I agree with you GovtCheese - separate arguments, separate issues - Mixon was a cold blooded murderer. As for the BART officer, he should not have been afforded the authority, absolutely unqaulified and lacked maturity to be emlpoyed as a peace officer. Not to deny the issues and problems presented in this article, but I agree with you, let's separate the wheat from the chaff.

[urfree2speak]

I don't think that there will be peaceful protest.......I think that this whole escalation of police brutality is going to end in a very bad...way. I have seen a marked increase in police crimes against persons.......look there are 4 posts on this site 5 with mine......no one really cares.

[MommaSue]

Thank you for opening our eyes. keep on keeping on...

[lucy08]

The issue of police brutality against civilians in the United States should definitely be on the agenda for President Obama if it is indeed as big of an issue as many make it out to be. Are police officers who are simply doing their jobs guilty of unnecessary “brutality” when civilians, especially African Americans, are killed in the process? If the police are going to be accused of abusing their power and mistreating people, there needs to be solid evidence to back up these claims. However, if such evidence is found and if police officers really are picking out black citizens for abusive treatment, that is poisonous and it must be stopped. As United States citizens we pay taxes which pay the salaries of the police. We are not paying them to harass minorities, and have a right to insist that they behave lawfully or changes should be enacted to keep them from abusing their position of power.

[JohnKelly]

Thanks for your post! You are right on. Having seen a criminal police gang beating a person nearly to death and dragging him face down over concrete steps, it is a horrible thing to have such bullies abusing people they are supposed to protect and serve. They are the minority, but their acts paint the whole force.

John

[TRYKER]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We should do all you've said, bring some light to the problem. This should be high on Obama's list of things to attend .
I'm sure that if HE got on national TV and spoke with some intensity about this, and listed a few new rules and regulations, we would begin to see a change.
On his change.gov site, under Civil Rights he spoke about out-lawing "profiling". That says he knows what has to change, so now we just have to stand up and push him. I think he could do this with an Executive Order...it could change over-night.
Obama has administered well so far, let's hope this issue is soon addressed.
I'm expecting him to show some solidarity with his black brothers and sisters as a matter of course, I mean right is right...how long must they wait before he stands up for them too?
What, they've got a black president now, and HE still doesn't get it???!!
Looking at this from the outside in, it is a horror really... I'm tired of seeing it.
This is NOT what America is all about.