Police brutality has been appearing more in the last year alone than I can ever recall in my 26 years. Imagine walking in your community doing no harm and being no threat and the police approach you as a criminal because of the way you look? This is the fear that many now have today due to the frequently seen news of police brutality. Especially those of color are more fearful than ever to be seen as a threat when they are in fact doing no wrong.
"Los Angeles police officers have continued to kill civilians at alarming rates and under questionable circumstances in the last three months, despite a summer of unprecedented activism and growing political pressure from lawmakers" (Levin, 2020).
We have seen this during the recent elections of those practicing their rights to protest peacefully and be treated in some of the worst ways possible. When approached by police there is often very little one can do even when innocent to defend themselves without it making matters worse as we have seen greatly in the last months.
This issue affects me directly because of the way I look and the color of my skin. I am a Mexican-American woman with dark tan skin and over time have grown a saddening fear of police brutality. I think of my daughter who is half black and fear for her future and the hardships she may encounter due to the color of her skin. I fear she too will obtain a fear of police when she should have only faith in them and the system. This fear could stem from the same way mine has in witnessing police brutality at an all-time high not only in California but all over America. I chose this issue because it is a very personal topic to me as a woman of color and having a daughter who is also. I think it Is important to not only educate others on this topic for to enhance my knowledge about it as well. Sadly, as educated as one may be on their own rights we must be aware of what police are capable of doing whether it is following protocol or not. Excessive force is very common within the topic of police brutality as seen greatly.
"Alarmingly, the number of citizens killed by police yearly in the United States is increasing. In 2016, the Sacramento Bee reported that 1,130 people were killed by police in California alone during the past decade. They go on to say that in California, “police officers killed someone, on average, about once every three days during the last decade.” (DeSimone, 2020)
Police and their education and training should continue greatly even after completing the academy. They must understand to not let emotions and any other factor other than the law and human rights take into effect when approaching a civilian. I believe police should be required to attend courses on excessive force and pass them in order to remain a police officer.
Resources:
Law, D. J. V. (2020, June 9). Data on the Use of Deadly Force by California Police. V. James DeSimone Law. https://www.vjamesdesimonelaw.com/data-use-of-deadly-force-california-police/
Levin, S. (2020, September 6). “Reign of terror”: A summer of police violence in Los Angeles. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/06/los-angeles-police-killings-dijon-kizzee-andres-guardado
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