Allegations of police brutality have been with us for several years. The most notable police death was George Floyd on May 25, 2020, while being detained by Minneapolis Police.
On April 19 of this year, a California police department was under the microscope for allegations of systemic racism and homophobic and sexually explicit texts with each other.
Texts and other documents from an FBI investigation in conjunction with the Contra Costa County DA of 17 Antioch, California police officers clearly show the allegations will be hard to defend. Antioch is located 40 miles east of San Francisco.
The officers are alleged to have violated directives found in the California Racial Justice Act, and official investigators are calling this “the tip of the iceberg,” inferring the 17 officers could be just the beginning.
The human rights organization Amnesty calls the allegations of the police actions another example of systemic racism. They suggest that adverse reactions between police and Black people and gays are rooted in police bias and racism.
On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, a special session of the Antioch city council was held at City Hall. Chief Steven Ford headed the police force and was on hand to hear the complaints of citizens following the release of the incriminating documents.
Nationwide concerns with police violence stem from abusing the power we delegate to police officers. Reports of the excessive use of force by police go back to Rodney King’s beating on March 3, 1991, in Los Angles.
While reports of police use of excessive force against Blacks are becoming more common, is that the whole story?
The Mapping Police Violence project points to the fact that Black killed by police happen at a higher rate than police killing white people.
In 2021, Black people accounted for 28% of those killed by police, yet they only make up about 13% of the U.S. population.
In contrast, white people accounted for 50% of those killed by police while being about 60% of the population.
Statistics don’t indicate police officers are more likely to kill Blacks because of skin color; however, in the case of some officers, that may play a part.
