But We Were Scared!

Police Officers need to be involved with the people of the Community

I was talking with my Wife, my friend, about the arrest of the officer in the Oscar Grant killing. I watched a few different takes of the killing. The most vivid was from a Woman observer featured on raw feed. My wife couldn't bear to watch it. I felt sick when I did.

Yes! Some People can be Scary!

I feel enraged now. Anger, a familiar companion, is once again, with me. My wife, my friend, says well, there are some scary people, out there and these cops are scared!

The Mailman doesn't carry a gun and they deal with scary people all the time!

So Eff'in what! So what, they scared! That's not a real reason! That is not a excuse! I worked in a refinery. I was made to be aware of the dangers of working in a refinery. Follow procedure, don't play around! If you eff up you can or will die!

These men could be mechanics at West Coast Choppers!

I worked as a bank guard! Same thing! Follow procedures! Do your job! I prayed on my way to work, I prayed while I was at work and I thanked God when I made it home. I didn't know how much stress I was under until I had been off that job for a few months. I believe that I have an idea of what Police officers go through. Some idea, but I don't do their job. I am not ambivalent to the dangers associated to their work. It's inherent!

Pizza Delivery can be dangerous but they do it with a smile!

But the Black Man and every other Minority Man is in danger too. We live with danger just like them. Sean Bell was supposed to be married now! He went out with his friends for a last night as a single man. He was approached by unidentified men who fired multiple rounds into his vehicle killing him.

He was probably laughing with his friends! Satisfied that after seeing a room full of the most beautiful, athletic, adult entertainment professionals, that he would be able to be faithful to one woman.

But those officers thought he and his friends were criminals! Criminals, Mista Jaycee!

Something needs to be said about that perception. Being scared is not an excuse! They might be criminals is not a valid philosophy! You don't know if they criminals!

For any law enforcement folks reading this. Did it ever occur to you that We, are scared of you too!

WE ARE SCARED OF YOU TOO!

Why wouldn't we be? You do not introduce yourselves as our friends. You and your organization does not engage our communities. We see you ride through our neighborhoods glaring at us from your police cars since we were children. The children see you! We remember what we felt when We were children.

What can we do Mista Jaycee to change that?

Well Mr and Miss Law Enforcement. How about foot patrols? How about expanding the Police Athletic Leagues? How about customer service? Saying Hello to Grown ups, waving to Children? Cops used to do that! They did! Part of your job is working with the public. Guess what? We are the public! Which means that if you are hostile to the public, those you serve, you won't provide good service. You ain't providing good service!

You can no longer hide behind a mandate that you are a public servant but refuse to be engaged with the public! We're Law Enforcement! Not Social Workers!

Wrong! You are City Employees! Public Servants! You are Social Workers! You are part of the face of the city you serve and if y'all are a-holes then guess what? The City suffers.

United States Postal Workers work alot closer to the people in the worst neighborhoods. The do it without 40. caliber hand weapons, without shotguns, body armor, AR-15, they do it! Why can't you? They deal with danger! The Pizza dude deals with danger! He still does it and he's nice when he's doin it!

So across the nation this week we have had three officer involved shootings. All appear to have been motivated by some officers twisted perception and justified by their fear! It's bad but worse it Inexcusable. INEXCUSABLE!

They might be criminals!

No, the problem with law enforcement from William Parker, Famous Chief of the LAPD to J. Edgar Hoover, Fearless Coward that lead the FBI is that the real Philosophy is not that they might be criminals it's that THEY ARE CRIMINALS!

Never mind that we see them working jobs, buying houses, mowing the lawns! They criminals!

That's what has to change. We are not criminals! Some folks may be and some have been but the idea that THEY ARE CRIMINALS! has got to die and stay dead.

Until that happens... Opps! I killed you will always occur! We can do better! We have to.

Every major riot and city uprising happened cause some fool cop did something to set it off! Time to stop! Adjust your attitude and your tactics! Time to get involved into diffusing community anger and disenfranchisement! The powder keg must go!

BE Careful! BE Mindful! BE Prayerful!

Jaycee