My Position on Police and Policing

Recently, I investigated the possibility of teaching a class on systemic racism. This has long been a topic of interest of mine. The curriculum looked good until I got to the section about abolishing police departments. That was a deal breaker for me.

I have been a member of Undoing White Supremacy for several years, even before the murder of George Floyd. Even during the days of Black Lives Matter, the call to defund the police was something I could not accept, as it ignored the key role police often played in extricating victims of domestic violence.

I was and am still concerned with how the abolishment of police departments would affect victims. One of my first cases in Child Protective Services involved a father who had raped two of his three young sons. If there had been no police investigation, those children would have spent their entire lives being victims of their father's horrendous acts.

Of course, the rise in right-wing violence cemented the need for police departments. Had it not been for the presence of the Washington, DC police department, we would have seen the mass murder of congressmen and their aides.

I did indeed work for the Killeen and Austin Police departments. I worked with some very good police officers. I also worked with some very bad police officers.  Part of my job with the city was ending the employment of some of the bad police officers.

I have been labeled as being pro police. I don't think that is accurate. I label myself as pro-victims. I have proposed several bills that would level the playing field regarding the prosecution of excessive force cases.

I do believe in working with police officials where appropriate. Banning the use of tools that would convert firearms to machine guns is just one of the police management proposals that seems to have merit.

I have attempted to set forth an accurate account of my views of police and police actions. It is not an apology or an indictment.