There are no good police. It’s a harsh realization, but when putting it into perspective, it’s the truth. If the police were truly good, why are so many afraid to speak out when one of them does wrong? Why do they choose to turn a blind eye when their response goes too far? Why do they dehumanize their Black and Brown suspects?
The system of the police itself is corrupt and backed by racism and prejudice. It’s something that many people in and out of the police force are aware of or have come to the realization of. The first policemen were slave catchers. The first reported crimes were Black existence. We see that it is nothing new to this day. They’ve criminalized standing on the corner. Going to the store. Playing with a toy at the park. Going to church. Sleeping in your home. There is very little space for Black people to simply exist without the fear that it might be their last day.
It’s as if almost every week another Black person dies at the hands of those who claim to protect and serve. The truth is, the police are only meant to respond to crime. Their response is what is in their hands. Almost every time, though, they respond with violence solely because they feel that they have the power to do so. They choose to be put in a position where they feel that they can determine what happens next to whom they detain. They choose to be the judge and jury on who lives or dies.
This does not mean that people who are in the police force are not good, but they perpetuate a system that is set up for Black and Brown people to fail in. They are the ones who are sent out when civilians protest for the justice of the lives that their own are at the hands of. They are the ones that speak as a unit, regardless of any officer’s background, without realizing that there is still an intersection. Black police officers still have to go home at the end of the day and see that those among them at work put an end to the lives of those who look just like those Black officers. The badge means nothing when there is a system of injustice and corruption behind it.
I’m tired of having to hear about the same news over and over again. I’m tired of innocent Black boys being murdered. I’m tired of police officers with high tenure yet don’t know the difference between a taser and a gun. I’m tired of the endless hashtags and Instagram story posts. We don’t only need awareness anymore. We need action. We need justice.