In a year when 573 (as of August 7th) people have been shot and killed by the police, some of those live on social media, many in interactions with police that should never have ended in death, the Boston PD has decided that the way forward is through ice cream policing.
The powers that be in Boston have determined that the best approach to the intractable problem that is Black and brown fear of police; Black and brown justifiable distrust of police and state actors; Black and brown complaints about extra-judicial executions and disparate weight and impact of current policing is to spend $89,000 on an ice cream truck. If it weren't objectionable as all hell, it would be funny.
I'm trying to find out what actual steps police departments are taking around the country but the information - if there is any - is hard to come by. Let's just say this: when I do a basic Google search for "steps taken by the Boston PD to improve community relations", the first mention of Boston specifically is the story about the ice cream truck. That's it. There's nothing about the consultant they've hired to assist them in reviewing their use of force policy (cuz they ain't hired one); nothing about their community meetings with leaders (maybe they've had some but they ain't in the University of Google's listing); nothing about their attempts to work with an independent prosecutor to outline terms and conditions for investigation of complaints against officers (again, it may have occurred and just not made the news..........yeah, right). But the truck? That's in there.
They've plopped down $89,000 for an ice cream truck. Rather than spend $15,000 (just guessing) on a consultant who can help them figure out how to reach out to the community in an authentic way, this is what they do with taxpayers dollars. My guess is that BPD will have to spend far more than that settling claims against police officers, this year alone. But what do I know? History seems to suggest that I might be right but hey, ice cream right? Yay! Butter pecan for me!
I'm trying to find out what actual steps police departments are taking around the country but the information - if there is any - is hard to come by. Let's just say this: when I do a basic Google search for "steps taken by the Boston PD to improve community relations", the first mention of Boston specifically is the story about the ice cream truck. That's it. There's nothing about the consultant they've hired to assist them in reviewing their use of force policy (cuz they ain't hired one); nothing about their community meetings with leaders (maybe they've had some but they ain't in the University of Google's listing); nothing about their attempts to work with an independent prosecutor to outline terms and conditions for investigation of complaints against officers (again, it may have occurred and just not made the news..........yeah, right). But the truck? That's in there.
They've plopped down $89,000 for an ice cream truck. Rather than spend $15,000 (just guessing) on a consultant who can help them figure out how to reach out to the community in an authentic way, this is what they do with taxpayers dollars. My guess is that BPD will have to spend far more than that settling claims against police officers, this year alone. But what do I know? History seems to suggest that I might be right but hey, ice cream right? Yay! Butter pecan for me!
Meanwhile, out in the real world where efforts are being made to not shoot first ask questions later, Minneapolis PD has been measuring 'positive contacts' between citizens and officers, absent the use of the grating music of an ice-cream truck. According to city mayor Betsy Hodges, "This work of building community trust has a long-term deterrent effect on violence. The fact that we measure it at all is a sign of change in how we approach policing in Minneapolis." (emphasis mine) Have they succeeded in eliminating all negative interactions? Of course not, but at least they're doing something reasonable, responsible and measurable. Boston on the other hand, ice cream.
I could probably wax on about the dangers of this policy, of the damage it causes to pretend to give a crap about the people you police only to later turn around and shoot 'em dead without so much as a by your leave, but I won't. My memo to Boston PD is simple: keep your ice cream. I'm lactose (and police abuse) intolerant. Ice cream is not about to mollify me or anyone else I imagine.
And then there's this, hug diplomacy bull cacalaca. I can't even with this rubbish today. I can't. Not today Satan. Not today. Not tomorrow either.
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