The discussion over undue violence by police — especially against minorities — is long overdue.
The answer, however, is reform, not the dismantling of the thousands of departments across the country, as some are proposing.
Because for every bad actor, there are many, many good ones.
Most police officers have stellar records, according to a recent study at Bowling Green State University, and take their duties to protect citizens and communities to heart. The small fraction of police officers who do not, are repeat offenders.
Such is the case with Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer who held his knee against the neck of African American George Floyd for almost nine minutes, suffocating him to death.
Over his 19 years in the police force, 17 complaints of misconduct, including those of excessive force, had been filed against Chauvin.
And yet, he continued to wear the badge.
The public deserves to know if those serving on their local police forces have a history of misconduct. As is, those records are for the most part kept confidential either by state law or by contracts negotiated by police unions.
Congress is considering laws that would make an officer’s disciplinary history public as well as create a national database of their infractions.
It’s only by showing that a department holds its police force accountable that it will earn the public’s trust as well help department morale. That the Minneapolis department had among its ranks officers like Chauvin, as well as the three who stood by during Floyd’s murder, speaks of a heinous culture in dire need of reform.
THE CALL for police reform has as much to do with a lack of adequate social services. Too often, police are the only service available to respond in low-income neighborhoods.
Instead of law enforcement, social health experts say a better system would be beefed-up networks that help provide access to health care or housing, education or job opportunities. These are the root of many of the problems that police are forced to address, though ill-equipped.
Such steps would help atone the senseless death of George Floyd and hopefully help deter others.
The door is cracked open to the possibilities of change. Now is the time to move forward.
— Susan Lynn
