The conviction of a former Minneapolis cop in the murder of George Floyd does not make me feel more safe in the presence of police.
It is not just “one bad apple” who killed someone. It is a system that allows police to use deadly force, and get away with it, when they feel threatened. It’s still a system that tells police not to rat on another officer by speaking out against harmful, or even deadly, behavior. It’s still a system that tells police unions to defend their own even when cops do horrible things. It’s still a system that promotes racism in profiling and arrests.
An average of over 1,000 people a year are killed by cops (according to a database maintained by The Washington Post). We need to put police on trial any time they hurt or kill someone. But we also need to put policing on trial. So many of us do not feel safe and protected by police. I fear interactions with police, and I’m older and look white. Imagine what it’s like for those who are younger or whose skin is darker.
Police are supposed to do law enforcement, but what’s really important is public safety. We need to change policing until it actually promotes public safety. Right now, it does not.
Larry Dansinger
Bangor
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