There are plenty more news all across America regarding police brutality; I could go on and on, but sadly it would depress me and by all means, I am trying to preserve the state of my mental wellbeing. Plus, I am not here to present the facts. I am here to introduce a possible change.

Do you remember Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment? If you are unaware, it was an experiment aimed to investigate on how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life.* It was a study on conformity, but it became much, much more.

In Zimbardo’s experiment, participants were randomly assigned a role of a prisoner or a guard in a simulated prison environment. The “prisoners” who were arrested and sent to jail without warning were given prison clothes, while the “guards” were issued a uniform, which includes an overall police attire, a whistle, a handcuff, and the obligatory dark glasses.

It is important to stress the fact that no physical violence is permitted in this experiment, but quickly hours into the simulation, the guards began to harass the prisoners. The guards acted in a manner that is both savage and cruel, which they considered enjoyable. Now remember, this is only a simulation.

What makes a police officer is the accumulation of their work with law enforcement and criminal justice, or a related discipline within the field; and of course, a three-to-four months training in the academy usually in a large police department or a department in a larger city. But most importantly what makes a police officer is their uniform and their badge.

I was a police officer once, though only on-stage, without a proper training like a police officer would normally get in the academy, but I had on a uniform, a signifier of power and authority; I was meaner, nastier, and a whole lot stronger and more superior than my peers. More or less I wasn’t myself. I was a character.

Similar to Zimbardo’s assumed guards, I was within the position of power because of my costume. I embodied my character, and I embodied it well. I was acting, of course, but for me the uniform made it real.

You see, there is a psychology behind police uniform. Instinctively, we obey authority when one is in an authorative attire. And just as well, the potent symbol of power and authority is laid out in plain colors. Everyone recognizes the power of the uniform. Everyone. That includes the person who wears it.

Maybe this could be one of many explanation that police brutality is persistent in our community, because the authority figure feels much more superior than a civilian on the street due largely to his/her uniform.

Well then, if that is the case: what if we strip police officers’ of their uniform and introduce a casual attire for them much like everyone else, but with their insignia place on the textile? Would police brutality decrease as hypothesized from the deprivation of their usual uniform?

Already I see a lot of problems with this: plenty would argue of its economical burden to change what’s already available for use; others would insist that there are no need for uniform changes, because this proposed change is laughable and the affects are only assumed; some might be in-between; and very few would be, let’s say “down” for it. We could try. Plus, who is this blogger to talk anyway?

If anything else, I used this Medium to keep the discussion going on the issue of police brutality around the nation and in my community. The media caught on with the controversy, meanwhile more and more videos are uploaded online showing the atrocities of police officers.

I am not anti-police, but I am anti-police brutality.

Police brutality is becoming a serious issue. We need to talk about it more and we need to talk about it now.