Pare The Bad Apples

In response to police killings of unarmed blacks, politicians often say, “There are a few bad apples.” Comedian Chris Rock had a response to this in his Netflix special Tambourine: There are professions that should not accept any bad apples. For example, airline pilots.

The Minneapolis officer who suffocated George Floyd and the Atlanta officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back had histories of bad behavior. People like this, with aggressive or racist tendencies, should never be hired in the first place. No amount of diversity training is going to make them good cops. Instead of looking for warriors, the recruitment process for police officers should seek candidates with good communication skills and a desire to de-escalate violence and help people.

Steve Goldman

Eugene