I work w/ a lotta LEO’s & am an atty in an overall law enforcement agency. I’m a government employee, a public servant. So r LEO’s, local & fed. As public servants, we MUST be held to a higher standard. What does that mean? THREAD

It means that, once u have a badge & the power of the state behind u, u have a resp to protect & serve the community giving u that power. That means every person, regardless of citizenship or color or identity, is under ur protection....

What does that mean? It means that, w/this state authority, & for LEO’s, the weapons & training to enforce authority, u must use that authority to help & protect. This means confronting & stopping those who abuse this authority, both in & out of work....

It also means addressing the fact that Black POC are more likely to be targeted & actively work to change that. To welcome BLM & work w/them.

From small abuses to large abuses-abuse must be confronted and stopped and those engageing in abuse held accountable so they NEVER have that power again...

No more can unions & precincts & agencies circle the wagons around an officer or officers when they abuse their power. I can’t show my badge to ask to get out of a speeding ticket. That’s an abuse of power.

So wtf do officers get union reps & official support when they engage in abuse? When they use their power to murder those they were supposed to protect? To relish in the use of force & harm/maim/kill ppl they were supposed to protect?

Agencies nationwide, from small podunck 2 officer depts to massive metro divisions to fed agencies: stop protecting abusers & murderers. Stop pushing racism & bigotry under the rug. Stop using state power to terrorize.

We won’t get any major change and POC will continue being murdered for simply existing unless the system of abuse & protecting abusers changes....

There are amazing LEO’s out there who legit want to protect their community. They are disgusted by the officers who abuse & murder & disgusted that the state protects them. They want change too. But...

This change must be systemic. It must address the history of racism and ethnocentrism & address the abuses that have been hidden & allowed to flourish. Systemic change is possible. I hope that we see it in our lifetime.