Young People Respond to Police Reform

There have been many efforts at police reform throughout history includ-ing during the Civil Rights Era. Some have decided to focus on defunding the police and the best place to reallocate those resources, as well as abolishing the police entirely and replacing them with other public safety.

With the recent passing of George Floyd, more young people are becoming more aware of police brutality and racism. A lot of people who are protest-ing want to see justice for victims and their families.

During protests, people can be heardchanting “take it to the streets, defundthe police, no justice no peace.”

Not everyone is entirely sure of where exactly the funding could be reallocated if the police are defunded. Marqusha Oliver is a local artist who has a few ideas including better books for schools, programs to help poor neighborhoods, and resources for health facilities.

“We have so many other ways of al-locating our taxes,” says Ms. Oliver.

Some also think that there should bebetter and more thorough training for police. Ms. Christina Perniciaro, a local dog groomer and student majoring inPolitical Science and pursuing a PhD in law, believes that police training should teach them to use force as a last resort.

There are many reasons for police reform. Some want to see a reduction in the responsibilities of officers. They are required to handle a range of issues that they are not necessarily trained to handle. People rely heavily on the help of police officers and some want to see specialized response teams of people who can properly handle different situations.

“I think change will come. It’s a nationwide upset. There’s no option but tochange.” Ms. Perniciaro, said.

Following the passing of Breonna Taylor, a woman who was shot eight times by police while sleeping in her home, Louisville decided to pass a law that would better regulate no-knock orders. This law will only allow no-knockwarrants for cases that threaten deathor harm to officers and citizens. It will also require the use of body cameras.

“Reform needs to be mandatory na-tionwide,” Ms. Perniciaro said.

The changes that are being made sofar are citywide changes. Many want to see change across the nation that will hold police accountable and give them the proper training that they need be-fore they begin to work with people in their community.

*This article appears in The Call June 26, 2020 Issue.*