Dear American Police Officers,

We have seen Police officers do some of the bravest and most heroic things you will ever see. We have seen cops comfort people in need and save lives at the risk of their own, and these are the acts that merit respect and trust. Yet, no one really has trust or respect for the police. Why is that?

You all are Rude, Biased, Callous, corrupt and full of yourselves. Men and women alike. Let me say this before you continue, I know it’s not everyone. I know criminals exist. I know people do bad things. I know that some of you are kind and understanding and noble individuals. This is written generally. Thus making it an open letter. so… read on.

In the past year, in my own experiences, I have had officers be incredibly nice to me and I’ve had others terrorize and belittle me.

When I was in Washington DC, I went to the Swearing-in ceremony for the President and Vice President. A little bit after I arrived local authorities closed off the section that I had a ticket too because dignitaries began to arrive. ( I’m not mad about that. please keep our dignitaries safe.) So the space I was in began to get incredibly crowded and I don’t know If it was because I was tired, or because I felt like a human sardine, but I began to freak out. It was gradual. the further I moved to get away from the crowd, the more crowded it became.  So finally, when I made it to the other side, tears streaming down, an officer let me out and hung out with me until the end of the ceremony. He kept me calm and he made me laugh and I thought it was incredibly kind and heroic of him to have done that for me. THAT is to protect and to serve.

That very same day, I was driving in Virginia, and apparently I wasn’t driving fast enough, because a cop turned on his lights so that I would pull over, got in front of me and then immediately turned them back off. This has happened more than once. Several times just outside of Savannah, Georgia on i-16 and once or twice on the local roads by my house. Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a little speed demon. I enjoy the fast driving. I typically pay closer attention after having received a ticket, but I hover right around the legal limit. There really is no reason for you to terrorize me because of impatience. ( Yes terrorize)

Since we have established that I have been pulled over on several occasions, while I do not always get a ticket, they are always rude to me. I remember being pulled over for “driving too slow”. The officer made me get out of the car to ask all these crazy questions and take a breath-a-lizer. It was humiliating because had been working the whole day, I was sleepy (not drunk) and My shoes were in my back seat. ( he wouldn’t let me get them.)

My parents raised me well, and I always take responsibility when I am wrong. If I have gotten a ticket, and it was warranted, I paid for it. NO questions asked. Sometimes even when it wasn’t warranted, I paid for it no questions asked. However, when you pull me over and treat me like a complete idiot, or you are rude and you belittle me or worse, you threaten me, I’m gonna have a problem with you.

I was a tutor for a while, and I had the opportunity to tutor a large group of children. They were awesome. They also respected and obeyed me. Not because I was mean or because I threatened them, but because they knew I was there for them. I was there to help them. This is how it should be with Police officers. People shouldn’t comply out of fear or because you threatened them with jail. They should do what you ask because they see that you are just doing what you know is best not only for them but for society at large.

I can’t think of very many friends who have good things to say about cops. Because you all in general are RUDE. You do not have to be rude to do your job. Even when people are in distress you are rude to them. My dad tells a story about a female officer who yelled at him, and spoke to him as if he were a child, and while my father is a bit arrogant, you don’t talk to adults as if they are children. No matter the level of arrogance it will upset someone in turn making the situation so much more than it had to be.

Beyond being rude you are biased. You treat minorities as if we are the cause of all of societies problems. 64% of New Yorkers  ( who responded to a poll by the New York times) believe that cops favor white people. I have never seen a cop who has given a young male leniency. Particularly when that young male is black, latino or asian. That is not how it should be. It is ultimately the cause of minorities not trusting the police. It is why crimes in a lot of impoverished are often not reported, It is why you have such a hard time solving those crimes. Not because people don’t want justice, but because people believe they will not get it from you.

You are insensitive in difficult situations. A friend of mine who was dealing with a domestic abuse situation felt as if the officers who responded to her call did not take her seriously, they let everything ride, even when she made it clear she was afraid. They left her there with the guy who was hitting her.

DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON CORRUPTION!!!!! We’ll be here for DAYS!

The over all point is, Just because you think you deserve respect doesn’t mean you do. Respect and trust are things you earn. You earn them by building a relationship with those in your community. You do that by treating citizens with kindness, and respect. You do not belittle us or terrorize us, or treat us as if you are at war with us, You are a public servant. You are here to serve and protect the public.

It’d be greatly appreciated if you all would find away to do your jobs in a manner that reflects those ideas. Help build your communities, keep us safe and help us grow. Teach people about the laws and advocate for those in need. While you may not think that that is what you are here to do… it is. You are the first responders. You have to be equipped to deal with more than putting on a set of handcuffs and I pray that you are.

I’m sure there are noble people who work for local police department. I’m sure that outside of uniform you all are the coolest people on earth, but it doesn’t matter who you are at home if that kindness and desire to help is not reflected when you are working.

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