CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE
MAKE PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT
CONGRESS CREATED A GROUP TO
ADDRESS RUSH -- RACIAL
PROFILING IN THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN POLICE AND THE BLACK
COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS
AFTER SEVERAL SHOOTINGS.
LAST WEEK I TALKED TO KEITH
ELLISON ABOUT BEING PART OF THE
GROUP AND CONGRESS AND WHAT HE
THINKS CAN MAKE THINGS
BETTER. ON THE ISSUE OF RACE,
OUR WHOLE COUNTRY NEEDS TO
ENGAGE IN THIS CONVERSATION.
IT WON'T HURT US.
IT MIGHT MAKE US FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT IT WON'T
HURT US.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH POLICE
OFFICERS WHO MAY BE REALLY
SHOULD NOT BE POLICE
OFFICERS? THE THING I WANT TO
START WITH IS ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT IF YOU PUT THAT BAD JOHN
AND YOU ARE ENTRUSTED WITH
PUBLIC SAFETY, AND YOU HAVE
SWORN TO RISK YOUR LIFE TO
PROTECT THE PUBLIC, WE NEED TO
CREATE INSTITUTIONS WITHIN
POLICING SUCH THAT THOSE BRAVE
SOULS WILL WRITE -- ROUTE
PEOPLE OUT WHO SHOULDN'T CARRY
THAT HONOR.
UNFORTUNATELY NOW I THINK IT'S
NOT EASY FOR OFFICERS TO SAY MY
COLLEAGUE IS A PROBLEM.
BUT WE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A
WAY TO SET UP AN ENVIRONMENT
WHERE ENVIRONMENT -- OFFICERS
LIKE A 99% DOING A GREAT JOB, I
DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENT, BUT I
KNOW MOST DO A GREAT JOB, CAN
SOMEHOW POLICE THEMSELVES.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROVIDE
EITHER NOT JUST BETTER TRAINING
BUT BETTER SCREENING BEFORE
PEOPLE BECOME POLICE
OFFICERS? WE NEED TO SCREEN
BETTER.
WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT
POLICE REALLY DO EVERY DAY.
I KNOW SEVERAL OFFICERS WHO
HAVE NEVER DRAWN THEIR GUN EVER
AND THEY WERE PATROL OFFICERS.
HAVE BEEN OFFICERS WHO DRAW
THEIR GUN ALL THE TIME.
WHAT IS GOING ON THAT THE WAY
TO SOLVE A PROBLEM IS WITH A
GUN?
THIS GOES TO DE-ESCALATION
TRAINING AND UNCONSCIOUS BIAS.
WE NEED TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WOULD SWEAR
UP AND DOWN THAT THEY HAVE NOT
GOT A RACIST BONE IN THEIR BODY
BUT IF YOU TEST THEM FOR
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS, THEY HAVE A
LOT OF IDEAS IN THEIR HEAD
ABOUT WHO IS DANGEROUS, WHO IS
NOT.
THE TRUTH IS POLICE DO A LOT OF
SOCIAL WORK.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LOT
MORE TRAINING AROUND PERSONAL
RELATIONS, HOW PEOPLE ENGAGE
EACH OTHER, POVERTY, AND WE
MAKE SURE THE OFFICER KNOWS HOW
TO FIRE THEIR WEAPONS, BUT DO
WE REALLY ENGAGE OFFICERS ON
HOW DO YOU DE-ESCALATE A
CONFLICT SITUATION?
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH SOMEBODY
WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS?
THERE BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT BLACK PARENTS TALKING TO
THEIR KIDS.
SHOULD WHITE PARENTS BE TALKING
TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT THESE
ISSUES?
I THINK THEY SHOULD
ABSOLUTELY TALK TO THEIR KIDS.
MORE WHITE PEOPLE ARE KILLED IN
OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS THAN
BLACK PEOPLE ARE.
THAT IS A FACT.
SO I THINK WHITE PARENTS, ALL
PARENTS, SHOULD SAY, SHOULD
INSTRUCT THEIR KIDS ON HOW TO
ENGAGE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
