After several black lives were taken by the police in 2014 F.B.I. director James B. Comey has admitted that cops are racist. Our gut reaction to such a statement is "no shit," but Comey is saying what too many in law enforcement are still denying. The NYPD stopped doing its job because Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke out about having to warn his son about interacting with police.
In a speech today Comey said officers who work in neighborhoods with higher crime rates for African Americans develop a cynicism that shades their attitudes about race. "We need to come to grips with the fact that this behavior complicates the relationship between police and the communities they serve," he said.
Comey suggested police need to start reporting shootings by police officers, a requirement that isn't currently in place. "It’s ridiculous that I can’t tell you how many people were shot by the police last week, last month, last year," he said.
It's also ridiculous that everyone in law enforcement won't cop to the blatant racism against blacks. But getting the director of the FBI to say something is a nice start.
[via The New York Times]
