Demilitarizing Our Police
Written by Lora Wondolowski, Peace Development Fund Director of Advancement and Communications
for African American Point of View June Issue
Every spring the new recruits for the sheriff’s department participate in drills on the grounds and parking lot of the Franklin County Jail. I live a few blocks from the jail, so it is a familiar sight to see them running and doing calisthenics. The jail is a stately old building that is cinematic (think Shawshank Redemption). In fact, the movie Labor Day with KateWinslet and Josh Brolin was filmed there. I know many people might be nervous about living near the jail, but it has never been an issue for me and my family until recently.
Last month I was walking my dog past the jail when I saw and heard the recruits running through the parking lot with flags as they chanted. As I got closer, I started to clue into the words of their chant which included lyrics like, “I will leave them bruised and bloody” and “I want to kill them.” Each refrain became more violent as the song progressed. My first reaction was concern for all of the families with children nearby that would overhear this onslaught. My next reaction was anger at both the culture of violence and militarization of our police trainees.
After the murder of George Floyd three years ago, many communities began conversations about police reform and defunding the police. Communities began calling for the engagement of social workers and others in calls that don’t require police officers and would be better served by new approaches and expertise. This is beginning to happen in some communities, often due to a shortage of police officers and not budget changes.
“When you see yourself as a soldier and you see the people you’re supposed to be serving and protecting not as citizens with rights — but as a potential threat — that’s going to lead to more violence or you’re going to be more wary.” — Radley Balko
The protests following the brutal murder of George Floyd reignited the national conversation about police militarization. Since 9/11, many police departments have gotten increased access to military-style equipment through anti-terror grants. The gear is supposed to be used to prevent terror attacks, but instead it is being used for everyday policing duties. This allows our police force to dress, train, and be armed like soldiers. This also creates a mentality that sees people as a potential threat. Many of these weapons were used against the protesters. I am not naïve to think that the police are always our friends or conversely don’t need to train to protect their lives.
However, I do object to using military training techniques in local police departments and training them to celebrate “killing” their enemies. I was appalled to hear police trainees casually chanting songs that describe how they will brutalize the enemy that sound like threats to those around. Police killed the highest number of people on record in 2022 — there is much work to be done. Three years after the murder of George Floyd and countless others, we need to continue the fight to reform our police to better serve the needs of our communities.
