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So many police reform efforts of the last six years have fundamentally failed to stop brutality and violence. Here’s my look at some of the popular policies that have not worked as intended — and in some cases only caused more harm: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/16/its-not-about-bad-apples-how-us-police-reforms-have-failed-to-stop-brutality-and-violence?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Body cameras have not stopped the killings or the brutality, and they have not changed officers’ behaviors. But they have helped law enforcement surveillance and prosecution.
Policies meant to limit excessive force against protesters have made little difference. We’ve seen that over the last three weeks as police across the country teargas and brutalize protesters — often in direct and blatant violation of their own rules. While the world is watching.
Police routinely use the exact violent and lethal tactics that their own reform policies have banned. One glaring example is the chokehold killing of Eric Garner, which came years after the NYPD banned chokeholds.
There is little evidence that diversifying police forces or selecting Black officers to oversee troubled departments has made any difference.
Mayors have repeatedly brought on new police chiefs to take over embattled agencies, promising progressive reforms. But in city after city, we’ve seen the “progresssive” chiefs soon after embroiled in massive misconduct scandals, brutality cases and controversial killings.
Efforts meant to train officers to deescalate and use non-lethal force have also failed. Charleena Lyles in Seattle is a tragic and horrifying example. She called 911 for help and two officers trained in deescalation fatally shot her within minutes, in front of her baby.
My previous story on Charleena Lyles from two years ago https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/17/seattle-police-model-charleena-lyles-killed
Implicit bias training has also accomplished little. One horrifying example happened this month in San Jose when officers shot a Black man who had for years been training that police department in bias. He may never be able to have children as a result of the rubber bullet injury
These are some of the reasons people are calling for abolition and to #DefundPolice.
“The issue is not a ‘bad apples’ problem,” said Alisa Bierria, organizer with @survivepunish. “There is something specific about the institution of policing that is intrinsically violent.”
“The issue is not a ‘bad apples’ problem,” said Alisa Bierria, organizer with @survivepunish. “There is something specific about the institution of policing that is intrinsically violent.”
This is why abolitionists are actively opposing incremental reforms right now, which they say would be a waste of the current momentum and would just cause more harm by giving more money and power to police to continue their brutality. See #8ToAbolition http://8toabolition.com
“Reform is only a way to steal more resources from the community,” said Kristiana Rae Colón, of the #LetUsBreathe Collective @LetUsBreathe773. “Reform is the enemy.”
