Today started off with a trip to the 911 center, a place that I always assumed operated within police stations, rather than at separate locations. What I really liked about this morning was that the speaker who talked really opened up to us and was unafraid to express his opinions. This alone was different from many of the other people we have talked to throughout the week, but also the opinions he expressed I found very rational. As an experienced policemen he explained what he thought was the best way to go about police work. He said that the most effective way to go about solving problems in a community was to get involved and talk to the people you are serving. This may seem like a really obvious and logical way to go about problem solving in a community, but surprisingly far more aggressive tactics are often employed. Tactics that almost seem like they are meant to scare.
Later on in the day we went to speak with people who actively fight for social justice, and protest inequality. I really liked them all, and I got the same impression of honesty, but also I felt their passion. It was really cool to see the insightful and knowledgeable perspectives they had. Especially because their perspectives contrasted starkly so from the judges and officers we had previously spoken to. One thing that became evident after listening to the protesters was that the problem doesn’t just lie with people-or in this case cops, it lies with the system. This really resonated with me, maybe because I saw it’s truth, and maybe because it reminded me exactly of what I liked so much about the first speaker today. He, a policeman, recognized that the most prominent form of policing isn’t only ineffective, but that it is also an enormous part of the problem. I think it was really interesting to see two very similar intelligent views, stemming from totally different sources.
Today has been my favorite day today so far. I have really enjoyed the great speakers, and of course the street polling!
Cameron Kerr-Grant