The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to policing, as evidenced by more than 1,000 fatal shootings by police each year. But we’re an outlier in other ways too: a heavily-armed populace, a fragile mental-health system, and the fact that we spend so much time in our cars. Add in a history of racism and it’s no surprise that barely half of all Americans have a lot of confidence in the police. So what if we start to think about policing as … philanthropy?
Edwin Raymond is a police lieutenant in New York City.
One day about ten years ago, he was just finishing up his shift.
I was walking back to the station house when someone in a bodega ran out and flagged me down and said, officer, officer.
Were being robbed.
I said, what do you mean, man?
I thought he was joking.
I'm like, what?
Really?
At the end of my shift, I said, does the guy have a gun?
He said, yeah.
So I put over the distress caller for backup.
I said, what is he?
You know, white, latino, black?
He said, he's black.
So I pull out my gun, and I'm waiting for the backup.
Raymond is also black.
He grew up in Brooklyn.
His parents were poor immigrants from Haiti.
That's when I see a black guy walk out, hoodie over his head.
He had a plastic bag.