The outbreak
Since the killing of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, and despite a few editorials that describe the scope of the problem as if it was an isolated incident, it has re-calibrated several nerve cells.
Why are we here again? August 9 was not a rare occurrence. It was the fourth killing of an unarmed black person by a white officer in five weeks. Many believed this was just another virus outbreak in another region.
This is an ongoing question surrounding many police departments' treatment of poor people, especially in black communities. Like the Ebola virus, many have been seeking to reverse a DNA code to cure an over-200-year affliction since slavery. Michael Brown's death has revisited a hazardous dark chapter that consistently tests our invariability
These toxic cells are: racism, prejudice, economic deprivation, education inequality, polarization, among many other things that often unexpectedly surface. I hope, when the streets are cleared, these issues do not become dormant and life goes on as normal while many continue to struggle with: (1) protection vs. freedom; (2) the correctional system; (3) police brutality; (4) tactics; (5) race; (6) culture; (7) abuse of authority; (8) demographics vs. representation; and (9) priority and government role.
The lack of uniformity in several uneven communities only shows us the struggle between pluralism and elitism. One, the police should help the people, and the people should help themselves; and two, the perception that officers protect the rich, and suppress the poor creates doubts.
The demonstrations that followed were not all infected by thugs or gangsters and only black people. Other races voiced their concerns about what appeared to be a public department with a closed system. Few individuals arrived with infected tissues in an attempt to disrupt good organs. However, the focus was to determine which lives are more valuable between blacks and whites, and stopping undiagnosed infection that has been killing healthy cells.
As the world watched, Ferguson's law enforcement struggled to maintain order, and their handling of the protestors made front pages globally, particularly the tactics used - rubber bullets, tear gas and multiple arrests, including of journalists.
Sadly, the U.S. is not alone facing scrutiny when it comes to police brutality and excessive use of force that has devastated many lives. In the Caribbean, across from the white sand and blue waters, many of us are struggling. However, racism tends to be muted, as it is often between the haves vs. have-nots and concerns of limited accountability by government officials for the have-nots.
Police Ebola
For decades, several poor communities have been injected with a frustration virus. Although few individuals might have been exposed and already processed, just a simple drive or walk to one's favorite candy store can be a reason to be quarantined. Even when an individual has not been exposed or engaged in any toxicity, consistently restrictive masks are issued. Furthermore, sometimes during an encounter in an unmarked quarantined space with law enforcement, any negative gesture out of frustration can dictate if one lives or dies, simply for refusing to accept a surgical mask.
One writer argued, just do what you are told. It is extremely important to comply with an officer's order. However, for many young black men and other minorities in their reality, accepting a command often only reduces the number of bullies from perhaps from 10 to six, as a decision had already been made.
Even when authorities have solid evidence, gaining compliance requires good tactics. For example, despite much-needed treatment to halt the spread of the Ebola virus in Monrovia, Liberia, the recent government approach after the world has taken notice only created additional problems, as reported.
Several predominantly black, poor communities have been plagued with crime, cultural and socio-economic issues and are in need of an antibiotic. According to Rebecca Klein, writing in the Huffington Post, there was only 50 percent graduation rate in 2013 in Michael Brown's high school, compared to 86 percent in the state.If these symptoms were found in predominately white schools, a vaccine would have been developed and or an operation undertaken, complete with blood transfusions. This issue requires investments and interactions.
Most of the officers do not reside in the communities they serve, unable to relate to or recognize a single black healthy cell. It seems only when an epidemic erupts do doctors who usually sit in isolated gated communities take notice, while the problem has been around for decades. These labs are only treating symptoms, and not the root cause of the problems.
The lack of medicine and limited treatment often creates more delusions and long-term side effects. Although traces of bad cells need to be isolated and incapacitated, an entire community should not be treated as if it is all infected.
It is problematic being viewed as the only affected people while knowing that more affluent towns have also been exposed but overlooked. These communities need an economic medication to prevent outbreaks, but priority seems to be invested in equipment, in anticipation of those moments of turmoil and division.
The broken window theory that is based on zero tolerance and swift action solutions seems to have switched to target everyone in the community and not just the criminal elements. Not all medicines work on the ebola virus and these community labs must seek new treatments.
Traces
Modern policing is not a new concept in our society. It has been around since the early 1800s, created in Great Britain. As a few scholars noted, it was used to keep slaves in check from running away from their masters. Maybe that mindset still exists in some departments today.
George Kelling and Mark More analyzed the U.S. evolution for a Department of Justice study.
They found that the period from the 1840s to the 1930s saw close ties between the police and politicians, with the emphasis on making politicians happy. The reform era (1930s-1970s) focused on arrests and professional crime fighting. The community policing era (1970 to present) has seen the community and police working more closely together.
According to several studies, community policing has been successful when implemented correctly. However, in some areas this theory seems only to be on paper. Furthermore, it appears that most of today's operations are stuck in the two eras, like an apartheid system where one is free to move, but mentally trapped.
In a recent CNN panel, a Florida police chief stated that not all officers believe in community policing. This is not to say these officers do not uphold the law and should not be part of the institution. However, forcing such officers inside communities to work with those of different racial and socio-economic backgrounds could result in more "hands-up - don't-shoot" cases, as one can easily default back to one's training, like muscle memory.
Perception vs. reality
It is not an easy task being a police officer. Law enforcement wears multiple hats; they need as much support as we can afford them. Sometimes it seems they struggle to meet society's demands in fighting crime while balancing human rights. Even in cases where an officer is outgunned, the expectation society places on the officer often puts law enforcement in a tight spot, balancing perceptions and reality.
Many of today's police officers are extremely well educated and can almost become social workers when dealing with domestic violence or child abuse issues. Many are adept at plotting a crime scene on computer models or predicting trouble spots, yet some still cannot diffuse an incident without pulling a weapon.
Bureaucratization can create a set of norms that often leads to social problems. A system can be well-organized, but unable to adjust to current and changing reality. How can several decades of "them vs. us" change in a few hours?
Ferguson prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, came under fire for how he handled previous criminal cases and for the perceived favoritism for law enforcement that led to mistrust in the community. He was elected several times and has close ties to the police. Often when community policing fails, there are repeated calls for tolerance and inclusion - or else for someone to resign or be fired.
The department seems to have an operation stuck in the two previous political and reform eras. Many officers were making journalist arrests and restricting media traffic during the protest.
However, on paper, not all white officers involved in the killing of young black men are racists. Nevertheless, we cannot use disciplinary records as the only guide because people often keep their true feelings hidden behind closed doors.
One can be anti-gay, black, white, Jew, female, immigrant, and still function on the job. Institutional racism is just as dangerous. Moreover, we cannot ignore a few bad apples in disguise - for example, the two officers tied to the Ku Klux Klan recently in Florida.
It seems our society has become immune to these shootings. What is more troubling - if an individual confirmed as mentally disturbed is not able to comprehend the danger of approaching an officer with a deadly weapon, it can easily be justified. Society must ensure that when it eliminates a virus, this is only because it threatens the life of an entire community and not because of its label.
During a CNN interview, a young man revealed he wrote two poems, one for the good police officers, and one for the bad ones. This is a sign of hope - despite the bad virus, there are still some good cells.
o Derrick Miller is a trained U.S. federal law enforcement officer and been a part of criminal justice field for over 14 years. This article was published with the permission of Caribbean News Now.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
