MORE ON POLICE

On the Police

Most members of the police are respectful peace officers. They offer help to the sick and dying and quietly settle citizens disputes and their presence deter crime.

Some members of the police force are racist, overuse violent force, shoot people wantonly and trample on the civil rights of citizens.

Police unions often defend officers who are alleged guilty and prevent such officers from reaching trial.

Police officers run in ethnic groups like The Irish Cop and the black patrolmen’s union. Police officers run in families with generations of family members  having joined the police force.

Men and women in these groups have little connection to other races, classes of peopled, sexual and ethnic groups.

I think police officers should have four years of college. They will learn critical thinking. They will wrestle with ambiguity and that everything is not black and white. They will see how races and skin colors came to be. Prospective officers will mix with people of different races, classes, sexual and ethnic groups. Officers will be gentler, more thoughtful, compassionate and have a larger view of human behaviour.

New Police officers should not:

1. Have had allegations or convictions of violence.

2, Have had allegations or convictions of domestic violence.

3. Have had been in the military where they have been trained to kill.

This is a time when radical changes must be made to make police officers members of our larger and more mixed society.