I see lots of videos where police apprehend a suspect/perp with an “unruly” surrounding crowd. This is an extremely dangerous situation for all concerned. What’s up with that? Sorry, but I have to play the “race card” here . . .
Back in the day, in my home state of Rhode Island, I was witness to four examples of white police apprehending suspects/perps in public. Two of the men arrested were white, two were black. Not one of these cases involved protesting witnesses.
All of the videos I’ve seen where cops were surrounded by antagonistic onlookers have involved black participants.
Please note that I’m not blaming the onlookers’ ethnicity per se. I consider the relationship between the police and the community as the fundamental problem. This lack of respect for the police has historical roots, which may or may not be justified. And ongoing contemporary explanations — though not necessarily moral justification.
This behavior is regrettable on all sorts of levels. But the bottom line is clear: antipathy to the police in certain communities is a political/cultural issue. What can be done to improve community relations with the police, for the safety or all concerned?
