police militarization

All police officers, no matter how well intentioned, live in — and are affected by — a society rife with racism and ableism.  Image: Utility_inc/Pixabay.

Yes, Being A Cop Is A Tough Job. No, That Doesn't Excuse Incompetence.

It is a very difficult and dangerous job, and it does require officers to have the ability to make good split second decisions. None of that should mean that it’s OK to be incompetent, or that we should all rush to justify, ignore, or excuse incompetence, racism, ableism, and the inappropriate use of force.

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“The police shooting of ‪Charles Kinsey last week [as of writing] exposed the myth of policing as a viable response to crisis scenarios in the United States.” Image: by Daniel Arauz/Flickr.

Not Everyone Thinks Funneling More Resources Into Police 'Training' Is Solution to Racist Violence

Some human rights campaigners argue that now is an important time to scrutinize federal funding of highly-militarized police trainings in the Miami area that may contribute to surrounding police agencies’ aggressive tactics.

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Why should kids get suspended in preschool?

Racial Inequality Starts Early – In Preschool

For the first time in March 2014, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) collected data regarding how early learners are disciplined during the 2011-12 school year.
That report showed that while black children represent 18 percent of preschool enrollment, they accounted for 48 percent of students receiving one or more suspensions.

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There is no correlation between violent crime rate and the rate at which police offers kill people. Image: Youtube.

5 Facts That Prove Police Departments In America Have An Unconscious Racial Bias

CNN hosted a heated debate between host Marc Lamont Hill and retired NYPD detective Harry Houck in which Houck ran up a list of statistics to back his allegation: “Black people are more prone to criminality.” But according to recent studies there are a multitude of factors which lead to black people being arrested and shot by police, and “more prone to criminality” isn't one of them.

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Human lives are at stake when your colleagues abuse their power... Image: Thinkstock.

An Open Letter To Police From A White Mother Of Mixed-Race Sons

I always believed that police used lethal violence to control citizens only as a last resort. Now it’s clear that they are jumping to it without fear — and without repercussion for their actions.
Do I believe all law enforcement acts this way? Of course not. But why do we so often see departments rally around and protect the bad apples?

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“People are still dying, still being killed, don’t tell us to sit down and not continue to go out into the streets.”

'We Want Safety, Dignity and Justice': Black Lives Matter Protests Build Nationwide

The fact that police killings are calculated by media organizations at all is a victory of the sustained protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, despite heightened visibility, the killings continue. According to the Guardian, 571 people have been killed by police so far in 2016—3.4 per million Native American and 3.28 Black.

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