INTRO
Police Brutality is an important issue that needs to be acknowledged and can be associated with racial profiling and commonly young teens. It involves police misconduct and officers who abuse their use of authority with innocent citizens. The New York Police Department Headquarters was my choice of audience because they can enforce a law and have the authority to make an actual change to society. My second audience being New Yorkers, the commuters of the big city, giving them the motivation to continue to protest and making their voices heard with suggested ways. I chose to write a letter to the NYPD Headquarters because it was the most professional option. As for the genre of the message for the New Yorkers, I wanted it to be a news article because the media nowadays is most commonly used by everyone and captures their attention.
Samantha Toro
Bronx, New York, 10465
December 1, 2019
New York City Police Department Headquarters
1 Police Plaza Path, New York, NY 10007
Dear New York City Police Department Headquarters,
I am a student at New York City College of Technology and I would like to reveal real facts of abuses, injuries, and violations conducted by police officers. We have a problem in our country that remains alive as we speak, that problem is police brutality. What is Police brutality you ask? It is an abuse of authority by the unwarranted infliction or physical violence of excessive force by a person involved in law enforcement while in their official duties. According to The Washington Post, there are currently 829 people in the United States who have been shot and killed by police in 2019. However, out of that percentage, statistics show 482 were shot or killed without trying to flee. Coincidentally, out of those same 829 cases, 726 of them involved a police officer with no body cam recording. These numbers are important because it isn’t one case in a single state, it’s multiple cases across the country, happening to innocent people. The citizens in this country are supposed to feel safe and secure by their police officers, NOT a target. I witness first hand, as a commuter, how police brutality doesn’t just affect citizens but young people and people of color specifically, in open environments such as subways. According to News 12 Brooklyn, a video went viral showing a violent incident, after learning teenagers who allegedly fought before the video began, a group of officers brings a few of the teenagers to the ground at the Jay Street-MetroTech stop in Brooklyn. Another officer walks up to a black teenager, who did not appear to be involved in the initial fight, and throws a punch at his head. When that teen gets pushed back, about six cops tackle him to the ground and pressed his face into the subway station floor. Five teenagers were arrested in connection with this, including the teen who was punched by the officer. He was charged with assaulting a police officer however the teen and his family claim the police lied to them about the teen initiating a fight and that the officers use of force was unjustified. This is only one of many cases of police misconduct. The officer who punched the innocent teen in the face will be placed on a “non-enforcement assignment” but not removed from duty. Police officers who are involved in cases like this almost never fully get “punished” for their actions or hold accountability for them. It’s more like “probation” or temporary time taken off of work. It is important, as you hold the role for public safety, to reassure citizens that when something like this happens, the officer involved will be held responsible for their actions and face the PROPER consequences that follow. We tell protestors to not protest violently, yet, our officers chose the violent answer when dealing with citizens. Police should only harm or shot when their life is in danger. It is a threat to the country and to citizens, that more police are being hired without improved accountability mechanisms to try to prevent more cases of police misconduct.
POLICE BRUTALITY
BY: Samantha Toro
We as New Yorkers see police everywhere we go, whether it’s in their police cars driving around in the streets , or in the subways posted up against the walls patrolling, they have the responsibility to keep New York City safe. However, we often see the excessive use of their power as police brutality is one of the biggest problems in our society today. Several videos went viral showing violent inflictions between officers and teenagers , these videos mostly being recorded in subways stations all over New York City. We see a recurring problem that must have an end, way too many cases have been filed about police brutality and too many have no justice. NEW YORKERS , IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE! Nothing will be done if nothing is said. A few weeks ago, on November 1st , according to the New York Post, about 1,000 protesters marched through the subways in downtown brooklyn addressing police brutality. They chanted “NO justice NO peace/F–k these racist police”. Some were even calling for violence as they said “punch a cop in the face/every nation, every race” with banners that read “Ante up! Punch that cop!”. They went as far as to tagging cop cars that said ‘NYPD KKK’ and throwing eggs and garbage at them. This is important to know because as a US citizen, it is important to make sure your rights are protected and that your voice is heard. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST. This is a situation worth protesting for, too many officers are getting away with misconduct and too many innocent people paid the price for it. However, there are different ways to protest, or address this situation, meaning the way those protestors addressed everything was not ideal. You cannot solve violence with more violence. The whole point of ending police brutality is to end the violence officers inflict on us and the misuse of their authority. If you approach this situation with nothing but violence intended then don’t be shocked when police have the same in mind. At the end of it all, police are citizens with families as well and want to make sure they return home safely. Violent protests are bound to get a different approach from police than peaceful protestors. This leads to what im here to tell you today and what YOU should do as a citizen. Make your voices heard and protest with keeping in mind that the way you approach situations affect the outcome greatly. We don’t just need a change for New York but a change for the country. Police brutality happens across the US and we don’t just need New Yorkers to stand up for their rights, we need every citizen. This is a matter that affects everyone, police are responsible for public safety and hold most authority. If WE don’t act now, the Police department won’t ever change or acknowledge the situation, and police brutality WOULD continue.
2019 police shootings database – Washington Post
“Fatal Force” (Updates daily)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/police-shootings-2019/
Viral video shows brawl between police, teens – News 12
“Viral video shows brawl between police, teens” By News 12, October 28, 2019
http://brooklyn.news12.com/story/41240998/viral-video-shows-brawl-between-police-teens
Politicians must stand up to NYC’s anti-cop movement, or we …
“Politicians must stand up to NYC’s anti-cop movement, or we’re in trouble” By Seth Barron, November 5, 2019
