In a lot of rhetoric about policing people talk about "over-policing" and "under-policing" as simultaneous problems, especially in low-income or BIPOC communities. That can sound confusing, so I'm going to illustrate what that means via The Big Lebowski. Bear with me. 1/

The Dude has two major encounters with cops in the film: Once where his car gets stolen and he needs their help getting it back, and another where a cop physically and verbally abuses him and tells him to stay out of Malibu. 2/

When The Dude gets his car stolen, he really does want it back, and he does what he thinks is the right thing by talking to the police reporting it. And they do find his car, but... 3/

The Dude didn't just want his car back. He also wanted to know who took it and why, and what happened. But, when he asks about that, the police officer just laughs at him, as if asking their help in understanding a crime or a wrongdoing was somehow unthinkably absurd. 4/

They're not there to help him understand what happened, or bring the car thieves to justice, or help The Dude out with any of that. They found his car after the thieves abandoned it! He should be grateful. Any other longing for justice or understanding is laughable. 5/

That's the "under-policing" part. The Dude is not served well by the justice system. They don't help him with his problems. He's on his own and more or less screwed when he needs help. 6/

The Dude also encounters a cop, though, who's a bit more pro-active about solving problems. A member of the Malibu police who picks him up after he gets drugged at Jackie Treehorn's place. 7/

We don't see it on screen, but the film implies that after Treehorn drugs The Dude, he calls the cops whom he knows will answer his call since he's a rich, well-to-do-member of the community. 8/

Treehorn lies to the police about The Dude being drunk and disruptive, and the cops take The Dude away. It's their job to serve monied, upper-class people like Treehorn, and sweep out and deal with lower-class people like The Dude. 9/

The Malibu cop is happy to pick up, abuse, and berate a lower-class person like The Dude, violate his civil rights, throw a coffee cup at his head, and tell him to stay out of Malibu. This is over-policing. 10/

The cops in The Big Lebowski embody a lot of problems we have with law enforcement today: They do not solve problems for lower-class people like The Dude, but enforce class structures and serve power rather than serving communities. 11/

They both over-police and under-police. They're not there to help you find out who stole your car or obtain justice, but they will violate your civil rights to keep you away from a rich person's home. 12/

Anyway, that's what condition our condition's in. 13/13