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National Safety Month #McKinney Style
June 8, 2015
— McKinney, police, Texas
The month of June is designated as National Safety Month in the US. Attention to safe practices and awareness is geared toward making the country safer. During this year we are faced with graphic evidence that one threat to our safety can be the police. The teen pool party in McKinney, Texas that turned ugly can only be seen as inappropriate. An enraged cop tackled a teen girl smashing her face into the lawn, then drew his gun on bystanders. I feel the fear as I watch these proceedings. I imagine what my own feelings might be if I was taken down by an irrational armed cop. This reality does make me fear and loathe what police do in my country.
The Department of Justice and the White House sponsored a task force to make recommendations for 21st century policing. The report names 6 pillars on which to focus:
- Building Trust & Legitimacy
- Policy & Oversight
- Technology & Social Media
- Community Policing & Crime Reduction
- Training & Education
- Officer Wellness & Safety
There is a wider gap each day between the cops and the communities paying for police protection. It is not an easy task to build trust when we observe this kind of event on a regular basis. Law enforcement officers are hired to prevent crime and keep the peace. When they look like the most criminal among us, we are right to question the authority we have given them. I don’t know how to reverse this trend, other than doing what you can to love your neighbor and treat him as you want to be treated. That includes all of us.
comments
I think your approach is a very good start to bring back peace. Although the problem seems not to be as acute here I also observe that police agents are mostly not friendly to “visible” foreigners.
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