Published by the Capital City Hues - Sept 20, 2024
The county is only 6 percent African Americans, but Black jail residents make up over half the jail population. The refusal of law enforcement officials to tell the truth and correct its problems is one of the many reasons the profession has a smeared reputation.
There are multiple reasons for the overall crisis plaguing law enforcement. The Marshall Project tackled the thorny issue last year and pointed out a suspect. The Project reminds us that COVID-19 was the leading cause of deaths of first responders at the height of the pandemic. It revealed that 2021 was “the most dangerous year to be a police officer since 1930.” No surprise, the pandemic spurred a mass exodus of retirements as well as people being lured to the private sector which offers more money and more flexibility.
The Project discovered that public servants don’t like the public. Government jobs are continuing to see a drop in employees at a much higher rate than the overall workforce. From jails to school districts to prisons to city halls, the understaffing is leading to burnout and health issues.
While some are scratching their heads trying to figure out some alternatives and others are responding to quick-fix solutions, allow me to offer a more humane and logical viewpoint.
First, we must work at becoming civilized and compassionate beings. Again. This is not coming from some idealistic dreamer. I know how people are treated in jails, in prisons, in the welfare system, in public schools and in public hospitals. The culture inside these bureaucracies are toxic. That’s why you have the good, sane folks leaving and the negative ones feeding off the negativity.
The cycle of dehumanization creates self-fulfilling, overlapping circles of despair and pain that radiates throughout our society. When there has been trauma exacerbated by poverty and violence, there needs to be fully funded and accessible support for those in need. Punishment has no place in remediating this kind of human damage. We’ve seen more than enough evidence that more police and more jails don’t solve crime. Instead, it moves us away from humane spaces and whole human beings.
Lastly, there needs to be a dramatic reduction of guns in our civilized society. We have replicated volatile situations where people are angry, mentally ill or desperate. Their first choice at resolving conflict cannot be to pick up an automatic weapon. Yet, some of the same people who are frustrated at the level of hate and violence in our communities are opposed to common sense gun reform.
The answers are in front of us. They will take time and commitment. They will require an overhaul of traditional city, state and federal budgets to address the myriad of issues this country faces as we pour billions of dollars into militarized responses.
If I should end up in jail or in the hospital, I want to see a caring and comforting face that will aid in my recovery. Don’t you?
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