Are We Ok? Safara Vache
July 18, 2021
Safara Vache
Safara Vache
When I was younger my perspective on the police was that they were there to help me, they came to my school and talked about stranger danger and how to stay home alone. That blue uniform made me feel safe. But now I see that blue uniform and all I feel now is anger. Anger towards the officers who put a spit bag over Daniel Prude’s head while he was lying naked in the street and knelt on George Floyd’s neck till he couldn’t breathe.
The reality of it is that police have abused the power that they have and acted from a place of little training or experience. But that is no excuse for the lives that have been taken, it’s a problem that needs attention and needs a solution.
The fact that Daniel Prude’s death occurred in Rochester is further proof that police brutality and systemic racism happen everywhere, even in the place we call home. Though we can make efforts towards more inclusive and respectful environments and communities, like in our schools or places of work, further action must be taken by the government within the police force to heal the divide between law enforcement and people of color.
After Daniel Prude’s death and push from the people of Rochester, the Town of Irondequoit released that they’ll be implementing a new policing plan. This new plan will include more engagement, training, and department diversification. They made a promise to rebuild the trust of the community.
Chief Alan Laird aims to identify the best and improved policing practices that can promote crime reduction while building the public’s trust.
Andrew Cuomo’s order 203 will put Laird’s words into practice. The order aims “to eliminate racial inequalities in policing” and “to develop practices to better address the particular needs of communities of color to promote public safety, improve community engagement, and foster trust.” This mandate is promising because it shows that New York state is starting to pay attention and address the issues within law enforcement instead of brushing them to the side.
This is progress in motion considering that just in 2016 the state police department found that Irondequoit didn’t have a policy related to biased policing. But now there’s a plan that will educate law enforcement on implicit bias, marginalized communities, cultural awareness, and mental health.
I was worried that the new mandate wouldn’t be enough or wasn’t the right direction to go, but starting now IPD officers will have to undergo a mental well-being check after calls. So far only 20% of the Irondequoit Police Department has received crisis intervention training, but eventually the whole force will undergo the training.
My hope is that once the police department has received more training that we can start to heal the bond between the public and law enforcement. I don’t say this in support of the police, I say it in support of the progress to come, I say it in support of Daniel Prude’s family and as an ally for people who’ve been on the receiving end of injustice and systemic racism. There’s still much more the government can do, but there’s hope because Rochester railed together in the name of those killed by officers and in name of change.
As first published in the Democrat and Chronicle and USA Today Network.