It’s time to ban police use of military force, chokeholds, qualified immunity, and no-knock raids. It’s time for body cameras, a national police registry, and uniform standards. Racist and overly aggressive officers must be disciplined, and if they fail to meet professional standards, dismissed for cause.
Defunding police? Be careful what you wish for. Simplistic solutions have unintended consequences, sometimes failing to solve the real problems.
The late 1990s saw police harassment in Weare and resultant voter backlash that denied funding to police warrant articles and town budgets, while officers such as the one who stopped and frisked my law-abiding honor student daughter, dumping her purse on the tarmac, remained on the force.
Three police chiefs later, the offending officers are gone, replaced by an accredited community-friendly force. But still the public votes no on police requests. As a result, substandard equipment fails to relay police radio calls in some areas, endangering police and the people they try to help. At least one police car will no longer pass inspection. The town asks for round-the-clock coverage, but qualified officers leave for towns where they are better paid, resulting in staff shortages.
I know what white privilege is. When I worked at a correctional school outside Philadelphia, I learned that black girls there were sent up for offenses that would have been overlooked in my white hometown. It’s time for national police reform, for equal justice under law, and safety for all, with no color bar.
CHRISTINE HAGUE
Weare