_(7276005388).jpg){kind=link}
One cop bragged, “Ya, I’m a cop and I kill, you know, [Black people] for a living.” Another said his K-9 dog only likes “dark meat.” Some more set up a cardboard cutout of Rick Ross to motivate other officers to make money by using their overtime to target Black people.
These are all just San Diego Police Department officers. And their behavior has been exposed by a new law.
On January 1, 2023, Senate Bill 16 went into effect, requiring police across California to release their previously private misconduct records. However, another disturbing fact was unveiled: too many of the officers accused of misconduct remained on the force.
We only know a fraction of what police really do on a day-to-day basis. How much of what they do now will we not find out about until it’s late enough to be considered “history”?
But that doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause for our struggle.
Elders and youth alike can pass on their own experiences via word of mouth. We can protest to draw attention to what they try to cover up. We can advocate to defund departments that continue to carry out disturbing behaviors.
Knowledge and information are powerful tools our communities have always armed themselves with. And if cops don’t give it to us, we will take it.