Yes, there was a shooting in Uptown last night. That may have you feeling concerned about the idea of police abolition, but it shouldn't. Let's talk about why.
(bit of a longer thread, so bear with me.) (1/10)
(bit of a longer thread, so bear with me.) (1/10)
First, I want to separate this event from the abolition / defund movement in general. We have to remember the context we're in. Crime always ticks up in the summer, it's hot, people get restless, tempers run high (2/10)
Also, we're three months into a pandemic that has resulted in the highest levels of unemployment, isolation, and desperation many of us have seen. (3/10)
This is not to say that shootings are acceptable, or that it's okay, but let's not look at this as if it's being caused by the discussion happening around policing. (4/10)
Then let's look at what the police response has been. We know from eye witnesses that the police already had a heavy presence in the region where the shooting took place. (5/10)
They had been over-policing that area in response to the street racing that occurred there the night before. There were more police in that area than normal, and they did not stop the shooting. (6/10)
We also know from eye witnesses that the police did not rush in to stop the gunfire. One eye witness reports having seen police take defensive positions behind vehicles, then approach after the shooting to investigate. (7/10)
If we do not expect the police to run into a gun fight and put a stop to it in order to prevent further injury, then what is the thing we actually want from them? Investigation after the fact does not require an armed presence. (8/10)
Moments like these tend to alarm people and shake us from our goals. It's important to remember that the moment that happened in Uptown last night happened in a broader context, and the police did not stop it. (9/10)
We still need better systems. Policing still does not fix these problems. Do not waver from the goal. (10/10)
