Mayor Renard Johnson Needs to Create a Civilian Police Board

We have all seen the latest video of police violence. This time it was a restrained woman - already in handcuffs - who was punched multiple times in the face by a cop. The person in custody spat on the cop - and the cop was clearly responding from emotion, not an actual threat, but from emotion. 

It was also a disproportionate response to what happened. 

This is following another incident of police violence captured on video of a woman with two male police officers on top of her and was punched in the face. 

Its time for Mayor Renard Johnson to spearhead the creation of a civilian police oversight board. 

There is plenty of precedence across the country for this kind of thing - but I’ll point no further than the fact that our military - far more armed than our police forces - have civilian oversight. It has long been a tradition in our country to have civilian oversight. 

This would be no different. 

Over the weekend I had a conversation with some really smart people about the conduct of PD. A couple said they were in the right. The rest said they weren't. 

Does that mean that cops should be given the benefit of the doubt. 

Maybe. 

And maybe it means that they should be held accountable. 

But a system where the police police themselves is inevitably going to be questioned and opens the door to the good ol' boy cover-up.

I think people are also missing the ever-loving point when they talk about whether a cop is justified in using in violence on the job. Yes, we all think that cops should be able to protect themselves - of course. We all want cops to have the tools to protect us - that also goes without saying. 

But that doesn't mean they are infallible. Like any other profession - they fuck up too. 

The point is - cops should be held to a HIGHER standard - because they are in a position of trust and protection of the community. 

This civilian oversight has to happen because the last time there was a sham of an IA investigation and the strike to the woman’s head wasn’t even included in the police report. It was done quickly and in the dark. 

That is when communities feel like they can’t trust the police. 

And before you back the blue people come chiming in - you know how hates situations like this the most?

Good, veteran cops. They can’t stand this kind of thing because they remember a time when the mark of a good cop is how much, and how quickly, they could deescalate a situation - not to see how many times they can be on FitFam and still have a job. 

A civilian oversight board doesn't mean they are out headhunting for cops. It means that community members can be privy to an investigation - ask tough questions themselves - and then make a decision on whether the use of force was justified. 

That is a GOOD thing for policing and it builds confidence in the community when the use of violence does become necessary. 

Johnson has shown no desire to even dare ask a hard question of the PD - but I get it. He walks around with his special detachment of protection all the time and so it might make him uncomfortable. 

I think he’s forgotten that his primary job is to protect the people he serves. And when these situations seem to be occurring with more regularity - its time for him to step up as mayor and take some action. 

To do nothing - is derelict. 

But to those resisting the idea and necessity of civilian oversight, I would use the same logic cops use on civilians when they ask for consent to search a vehicle…

What’s the problem if you aren’t doing anything wrong and have nothing to hide?