On Defunding The Police…
Where to start. I have family that are police officers and in law enforcement. To my knowledge they are upstanding and honorable. That’s why defunding the police is such a hard topic for me.
Watching how the police deal with protesters angers me. Seeing how they are dealing with the press makes me seethe in anger.
I’m a recovering reporter, who covered the police as part of my beat when I worked for a variety of newspapers. I had a good relationship with those in blue, with whom I covered. But watching the interaction across the nation between police and the public makes me wonder if it was all just a show.
Lately, I find myself, when I see a police officer somewhere interacting with the public, reaching for my phone to record. Thankfully, I have yet had a reason to pull it out. But I know it’s only a matter of time.
I really don’t know how to form an opinion about defunding the police. I think there are times when the police are needed, but many of the times when they show up first, when they should be the last to be there. There are other services that should be responding first.
We have an Iraq War veteran with mental health issues (PTSD etc.) on our street. The police have shown up numerous times to his house. Mental health providers should be the ones showing up not the police.
I know this is a ramble, and hopefully it make sense.
This is where I stand, the police departments and the culture of policing have got to reform and evolve. The mentality of shoot first, ask questions later needs to stop. Police officers need to be held accountable for their actions. End of story.
No one should be above the law, not even those sworn to protect it. Police need to be held to a higher standard.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Keep the civil please.
