Recent videos of cops killing unarmed black men have gone viral and reinforced a negative perception that it’s open season on killing black men by cops. For the record it’s not open season. I despise hearing that because it’s not true and it’s fear mongering to perpetuate a state of hopelessness. Secondly, not all cops are bad cops. Remember what bleed leads. That’s why we hear about cops killing unarmed blacks daily on the news.

Are definitely bad apples in the bunch? Yes, and the video deaths of Walter Scott and Robert Bates, illustrate that point. Are there situations where the police have framed blacks for crimes they never committed? Absolutely, look at John Burge CPD cases for evidence of this fact. Does the police disproportionately stop black men? Yes! Now what! 

We need solutions more than pundits engaging in fear mongering. I posit that negative interactions with police will not end until police leadership communicate that all lives matter by emphasizing the importance of officers regularly undergoing cultural competency and training to work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Officers that are culturally competent are more likely to think of healthier ways to de-escalate or manage a confrontational situation instead of shoot to kill.

Additionally, we need body cameras on all officers nationwide. Dashboard cameras are not enough to stop this behavior to catch rogue officers. Lastly, we need to try officers for the crimes they commit and stop giving them a slap on the wrist, which doesn’t deter misbehavior. Let’s create a new police culture that is culturally competent and visually monitored.