via Wikimedia
Body and dash cameras, cell phone video footage - having so much evidence of police corruption would make you think more police convictions would come about. Sadly, that’s not the case.
Even when caught red-handed, they STILL get away with it. The reasons why are complicated.
A Washington Post analysis found that, since 2005, thousands have been killed by cops, but only 54 officers were charged.
According to the Post, “In three-quarters of the reviewed cases, the race of the charged officer was white. Of those, two-thirds shot and killed a black person. In none of the cases did a black officer fatally shoot a white person.”
Just because we can see the evidence doesn’t mean the police will be held accountable. The system’s actors control the process.
Police unions, politicians, and district attorneys who decide HOW and WHAT to charge the officers with all play detrimental roles in this frightening phenomenon.
Public perception and the courts give officers the benefit of the doubt, but that’s not fair. The courts also control what can and can’t be presented as evidence. The entire process is usually skewed to the favor of the police.
If we want to see more cops being held accountable for the ways that they terrorize our communities and kill people, we have to have a comprehensive understanding of the system. That means it will take more than camera footage to achieve real justice.