Photo: Metty

When it comes to discussions around police problems, people typically refer to the United States of America. Why? Well, for starters, they have the most eyes watching them, and stories that break tend to be worldwide. Even though the US is the most popular, other countries suffer under the hands of the same so-called force for good at an even worst rate. Take Brazil, for example; a country of over 200 million and the largest in South America. They are victims of the worst case of police brutality globally, and last year 2020, they reached an all-time high of 1,810 which averages at five deaths a day.

Further up the hemisphere is Canada. And though the country is lead to seem friendly and pleasant, the statistics regarding policing paint a different story. One-third of Canada’s prison population are people from indigenous backgrounds, despite them making only 2% of the total population. A question to be asked is;

Why are ethnic minorities disproportionally affected by policing?

Studies have shown that crime does not correlate with race. Instead, it’s a class issue. Try telling that to the police and those who push the “black on black” or “brown on brown narrative.” The public should also note that the police aren’t deterrents to crime. They show up only after the crime has been committed and are more reactionary than preventative. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tackle the root causes mentioned later on.

Here are a few interesting random research facts;

• The UK is the second most surveilled country globally, with London being the 3rd most surveilled city in the world.

 

• Hungary spends the most on police per GDP than any other country.

 

• China has the most police globally, with about 1.6 million officers. That’s more than some countries!

 

Personal Encounters

In my near thirty years of living, I’ve encountered the police quite a few times. Some have been brief encounters with no more than a few questions asked. While others have been close to discriminatory, and in hindsight, they most likely were, but then again, it’s so difficult to prove. The last time I got stopped, I was driving in London with a friend, and suddenly an unmarked car just started flashing its lights behind me.

At first, I thought they were signaling to get past, but only after a few seconds that I realized it was for me. They pulled to the side, and both I and my friend were asked questions by the police. When asked what the stop was for, they said the address of the car registered was different from where I currently was. I mean, cars are meant for driving around but hey. They eventually checked the details and drove off.

I found these encounters like this routine. However, when speaking to my white friends, I soon discovered most of them had never been stopped by the police while driving.

 

The Common Denominator

“Once you look hard enough at something then you start to see a pattern.”

In the US, the issue that has caused the most extensive nationwide protests has been policing. Concerning the murder of George Floyd. It was not gun regulations, immigration, or even capitalism that is a severe problem in itself. 2020 marked the decade of protests, and only when you look close enough, you start to see a pattern.

Pick a country, any country — Peru, Uganda, Indonesia, Brazil, Hong Kong, you name it. Following the protests that have taken place, you see a trait almost all of them possess — excessive use of the police force. It’s helpful to mention that these protests haven’t ended in most countries and don’t look to be anytime soon.

Anytime people stand up for their freedom and demand a change in how their lives are governed, like clockwork, the government rolls out the riot police. If the situations escalate, so do the means of tackling them by rolling out the army loaded with guns, something right out of a call of duty game. Funny enough, the police never seem to calm tensions as they are supposed to; they only enhance them. Most protests that start peacefully soon turn violent once the police arrive. Look at the case of the recent night vigil for Sarah Everard.

We must be honest and acknowledge that the common denominator for the problems here is the police.

 

Solutions

Do we really need the police in our communities?

The answer possibly lies in places with a negligible policing presence and some communities with no police at all. Take indigenous communities in Canada, for example. They do not have a police force. Instead, they take an approach called Restorative Justice.

A restorative justice response to crime involves having meetings within communities between the victim and the offender. We are lead to believe our societies will crumble if not for the police keeping things in order. But this goes back to the point stated above: the police do not prevent crime; they only react to it.

An immediate solution proposed by millions across the globe is the need for defunding of the police. Essentially it means reallocating over $100 billion, which the US spends on policing and use them for improvement in said communities. Like using the funds for critical areas such as housing, education, and mental health. This article goes into detail about other methods which have been used and work. Ultimately, I believe we can find a solution that works for us as the current one isn’t working.