The inhumane killings of Black men, women and children across America at the hands of police officers has many people wondering why the officers NOT involved in these shootings don’t speak out, and now a few brave cops are breaking their silence.
The NYPD is one of many U.S. police forces who face constant criticism and are often at odds with the Black community over poor handling of incidents involving their officers and Black men, but a few minority NYPD officers say it’s no accident that people of color seem to be the targets. “You might not see anything, but you go hunting, like, bounty hunting for an arrest,” NYPD officer Derick Waller told NBC New York back in April of this year.
Waller has since faced consequences that he believes are a direct result of his decision to speak out, which he detailed in a more recent interview with NBC New York just last week. Officer Adhyl Polanco also admits that police officers are required to target the most vulnerable of areas when looking to fulfill quotas, which often results in focusing specifically on Black communities. “The problem is when you go hunting, when you pull any type of numbers for a police officer to perform, we are gonna go to the most vulnerable. We’re gonna go to the LGBT community, we’re gonna go to the Black community.
We’re gonna go to those people that have no vote, that have no power. If we start doing what we’re doing in midtown Manhattan, a phone call to the mayor’s office is gonna be made and that’s gonna be the end of it.” Both men are two of several NYPD officers involved in an ongoing lawsuit looking to expose higher ups for unlawful police policies and practices that unfairly target minority citizens.
When asked how they feel about these practices and policies as minorities themselves, the officers say they are disgusted and want to see it end. “It’s horrible. This is something coming from the top that trickles its way down and that’s why we’re all here today.”
WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.