The Police needs to be Policed

How too many police are running amok in BIPOC communities.

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

Too often minor traffic stops by the police end up with a victim being shot, killed or incarcerated with dire consequences unnecessarily. Yes, the police needs to be police with new laws governing their behavior. Not all police are out of control but it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. With the popularity of cell phones, more indiscretions by the police during traffic stops or violations have been shared on social media in real time.

Where there is smoke there is fire. Many civilians have filed lawsuits against the police for their misuse of power during traffic stops and other encounters with the police. Los Angeles had tried to move forward with policing the police by limiting police stops and not allowing armed police to enforce minor moving violations. This reform in Los Angeles has stalled.

With the public seeing how Derrick Chauvin, now ex-cop and convict, murdered George Floyd and with persistent anti-Black racism in policing, the Los Angeles City Council charged city officials with the task of coming up with alternative ways to deal with traffic stops. There is and was concern about turning over traffic stops or violations to unarmed transportation officers who normally write parking tickets, along with other traditionally nonconfrontational duties.