Accepting criticism key to reforming police system
Criticism is necessary for improvement. Without criticism from third-party sources, it can be difficult to even realize there is an issue.
However, criticism can only make an impact when it is acknowledged in an accepting way.
The United States has recently had a spike in issues involving police brutality, specifically involving people of color. What makes these incidents so horrible is not only the harm done to those affected, but the complete lack of accountability for those who do the harm.
Recently Patrick J. Lynch, head of the largest police union in New York, stated in an open letter responding to the excess force used on former tennis star James Blake that, “If you have never struggled with someone who is resisting arrest or who pulled a gun or knife on you when you approached them for breaking the law, then you are not qualified to judge the actions of police officers putting themselves in harm’s way for the public good.”
Any criticism of police is perceived as an attack on the system. Anyone who thinks there is a problem with police is a “cop-hater” who is unable to recognize the good police do for the community. These responses are borderline childish and have no place in conversations discussing issues with the police.
Police cannot simply disregard all third-party criticism. Is asking the police to acknowledge that tackling, beating and in some cases killing innocent people is a bad thing simply too much to ask? People are not questioning the bravery of police officers. People are not saying that police are not necessary.
People simply want the police to be held to the same standards of justice that everyone else is. Without accountability, no justice can truly be achieved.
Just because an institution is necessary does not mean that it is impervious to criticism. If anything, it should be held under a more critical lens because of its importance.
A recent report from The Daily Beast demonstrates how the issue of police brutality is institutionalized. It tells how the prospective officers are told that there is a “War on Police” that has been birthed out of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. The issue with this is that it is simply not true.
According to the Officer Down memorial page, 2015 is on pace to set a 20-year low in police deaths and gunfire deaths by police officers are down 27 percent in 2015. Inversely, the official count of deaths caused by police, as reported by The Guardian, stands at 856 as of Sept.23, 177 of which were unarmed. Statistics do not lie, and the statistics show that there is no “War on Police.”
Criticism is necessary for the betterment of society, however, it can only do good when it is acknowledged. We can scream for change, but it has no value unless those at the heart of the system truly listen to and reflect on the issues.
