Answer: Improve the education and training systems for accountability in the police force
I believe all police and its leadership need to go through an extensive course that eliminates the “good ole boy” system and makes sure officers speak up when they see injustices done in their unit. There needs to be better education and training on accountability. If only a few cops would have spoken up about Derek Chauvin and the leaders would have listened, then we would not have this mess on our hands today.
Why Education and Training?
Everything we do comes from our imagination which is informed by our upbringing, education, and training. The excessive force that Derek Chauvin used on George Floyd came directly from his imagination. Our actions are a result of our thinking. What we learn, and repeatedly do will begin to be a part of who we are. The Bible says “Bad company corrupts good character” ( 1 Corinthians 15:33 ) and we are told to guard our hearts (aka our imagination) because everything we do flows from it ( Proverbs 4:23)
Education and Training to Change Culture
Officers need to feel very comfortable calling each other out on malpractice – it needs to be a part of the culture. There must be accountability, and good training to reinforce these ideas so that it becomes part of the culture. When this training on accountability becomes a part of the culture then what happened to George Floyd will not happen to anyone else.
Mr. Floyd died at the hands of negligent cops. None of them thought to themselves “ Should we be doing this? ” and if they did think that, they didn’t have the character to call it out. Out of all those cops, no one said to Derek ” Hey man, get your knee off his neck, that’s too much!” They all saw it as normal – which shows there’s a serious problem in the education, and training of the police force when they can’t identify or feel comfortable with calling out malpractice. When people start to see abnormal behavior as normal and go along with it, then trouble isn’t far away. So now the results are an unjust death, a loss in public trust, a loss of property, and protestors in the streets.
A Good Example…
In the movie “ Courageous “ there is an example of where a corrupt cop is called into account. It was a hard thing to do but that’s the type of attitude that needs to be formed in every police department around the country. It’s also a trait we need to have in our own personal lives. Policemen are held at a higher standard, and when they put on that badge they better know that people are looking at them differently. Police have been given power from us and if they abuse that power, then people begin to take things into their own hands which causes more violence.
What are your thoughts?
How do you think we can stop police brutality? Leave your ideas in the comments below. No name-calling or finger-pointing. Please be respectful, positive, and focus on solutions, because we are all in this thing together.
Michael aka “Malan Jones” is a worship leader, writer, artist, and producer born in Georgia but now resides in Tucson where he creates music and videos that proclaim the gospel. He has a B.A. in Film and Media Arts from the University of Tampa and an M.A. in Christian Leadership from Grand Canyon University.
Before you can be a police officer 2 years of college. Take classes that talk of real history in this country not watered down history from the White man history but real American history. Talk about the dirt if this country. Then classes in social work, psychology, sociology , community organization. Take cultural classes learn about all culture. Need at least one foreign language. Police department pay for this education once the person pass the academy. 2 years college final step to becoming a police officer. Yes, just to be a street cop you need a college education with only certain classes.