Most police officers respect the law and sacrifice to protect our communities. But unarmed, innocent civilians--usually young and usually black or brown--are often assaulted by police across the country, and far too many of our brothers and sisters feel harassed and intimidated by law enforcement. Do you think the police culture or police procedures that bring about such tragedies need changing? If so, how would you change them?
Changing the commission of police does not solve the problem. The security forces are trained to serve and protect, but when they are given a badge and a gun, they have the power to abuse us. We need to unite and fight together for our rights, and let them know that we are not animals. It is time for us to take to the streets and to let the NYPD and the commissioner know that it is time for a change. We are tired of police brutality.
Beverly Gordon-Wells Home attendant All Metro Health Care NYC
I feel as though police policies do indeed need to change. I feel that undercover police should carry deterrent weapons in cases where they are just observing. Technology nowadays makes it possible to carry non-fatal specialty bullets such as rubber or plastic ammunition and electric tasers. Honestly, these things are enough. The police are heavily protected with their bullet proof vests and shields. They could have easily just utilized these alternative tools. More training? No. Different weapons? Definitely.
Joyetta Foster St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center NYC Institution: SVCMC
There has been a real lack of minorities in leadership positions in the NY Police Department. I don't think that the Commissioner has one minority leader within the department with whom he seriously consults or even seeks out for advice. This is the problem. His being white is not the problem. His being ethnocentric is.
Maura deLisser Senior social worker Beth Abraham The Bronx, NY
How dare you ask this question without even considering all 1199 members’ feelings first? My brother and nephew are NYC Detectives who risk their lives everyday to make this city a safer place to live. But I guess that doesn't count. Why not march to support them? I bet there are a lot of other members who feel the same way!
Laura George Secretary Albert Einstein College of Medicine The Bronx, NY
It is really great to see 1199 taking on such high profile humanitarian causes. I'm glad we (1199) have such a big "war chest" to fund these rallies. Especially ones that put us at odds with NYC's finest.
Matt Henning Montefiore Medical Center The Bronx, NY
"Our Child"
Who is going to wipe our tears? The tears of thousands of families from Thousands of years The tears of Mothers and Fathers crying For their slain sons The tears shed for our most recently lost one Who was out having fun, planning a next day celebration Killed by 50 shots from a gun. He is one of our children Not mine by birth But mine by worth Precious to me because he is the same image Of my own sons Precious to me because he is human And as long as my boys have Similar skin tone, hair and cheekbones Similar talk and similar walks He is Mine This might be a new date and time But we are still dealing with the same Thoughts and frames of mind He is mine because he is not theirs And for that reason I will always fear That one day this can be my familys tears So I cry now Because our child has once again Been shamelessly gunned down
Sharonnda Ridley Business associate Mount Sinai Medical Center New York City
With out a doubt, police procedures need to be changed. We need peace officers patrolling our neighborhood that understand our communities and members of communities. And their training needs to include the cultural diversities of the community that they are policing, and not to come into our community thinking we are still property.
Felix Ella Clerk St. Barnabas Hospital The Bronx, NY
Don't kid yourselves that it's only white officers that are the culprits here. On Staten Island, the 120th Precinct is notorious for harassing brother and sisters. The worst offenders are the brothers in blue. They seem to have lost sight of the big picture and use what power they have to prove to their higher ups that they will go above and beyond to gain "acceptance". The end result is they are more of the "problem" than the "solution". This is unfortunately not talked about nor highlighted in any way as an issue.
Michele Rubin Social worker St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center Staten Island, NY
There needs to be even more communication between the police and the citizenry-more community policing and less undercover activity. Also, the "rules of engagement" need to be much stricter for undercover officers.
Daniel Verinder Researcher 1199SEIU Boston, MA
I feel like there are too many police being careless of their jobs. Not doing what they are supposed to do. They always find fault when there are people of color together. We are always the being labeled as being bad for society. We are the scapegoat of mankind. I really feel sad for the Bell family. This was young black man that was murdered for no cause, on the eve of his wedding day. I just pray that God keep his family strong and safe always.
Daphne Hutchinson Nursing assistant Lenox Hill Hospital New York City
I do not think it is the police per se but I do feel something is wrong with society. We allow hundreds of thousands of illegal guns on the street due to lax federal guidelines and weak state laws, as well as no real federal tracking of interstate weapons sales (illegal or legal, e.g. gun fairs). We also encourage a culture of violence from media and entertainment, as in vidoo games and movies. We glamorize the gangsters, warmongers and killers, all for corporate profit. We then wonder why it spills over into the streets.
We also have a police force that is overburdened with small crimes not worth the time to even process and they are maybe not trained enough. Some return from a war with these kind of actions are accepted if not encouraged. The whole system is broken.
Bryan Holman Member services 1199SEIU National Benefit Fund New York City
I think that it is a shame and disgrace how these police officers use their guns. They should be protecting our young men, not killing them. I have two boys and am afraid for them.
Eunice Bigby Dietary aide Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center Brooklyn, NY
In order for these reckless murders to stop, there needs to be some consequences. Those officers need to be held accountable, to set examples for the rest. Murder is not acceptable. We are not safe in the hands of the NYPD. We are targeted and destroyed, and they continue to get away with it. In order to see change, the repercussions should be harsher, just as it would be for a Black man who kills a cop.
Simone Bazelais Patient representative Whitney Young, Jr. Health Services Albany, NY
I think that we as civilians cannot judge the actions of these policemen because we do not entail their position day in and day out. They are presented with challenges everyday and approach each situation with a trained mentality. We can only go by what the media is depicting. We were not all there that night and we do not know what happened before that shooting occurred. Those police officers want to go home every night and deserve to go home every night like every other "civilian" does. Many police officers have been killed in the line of duty because someone did not "want to go to jail." Small children were left without a dad/mom because these delinquents wanted to break the law and not pay the consequences. How come we do not find protest or marches when these police officers are gunned down over nonsense? I think as civilians we should be grateful for everything we have and we should try and change what we do not agree with. And in order for these changes to take effect we have to start within ourselves. If we prosecute the wrong we will continue to live in the selfish world we live in and nothing good will ever proceed. This march that took place on Saturday was more to stop people from buying in "white owned" business. Why? The first policeman to shoot was an African-American and another was Palestinian. No one really sees it this way.
