Was Police Investigation an Empty Ritual, or Will It Bring Change? : The Times asked a diverse group of people, most of them Los Angeles residents, to comment on the report of the Christopher Commission. The following commentaries are taken from the interviews. : You’re at Their Mercy
When I was a homeless alcoholic on the streets and repeatedly arrested, I got a broken vocal cord from a chokehold, a broken leg and a broken nose. That’s the way police operate. This incident with Rodney King just happened to be caught on camera. If you’re not a rich guy, you’re at the mercy of these guys. They’re protected by the shield and they got the gun; they got the power.
I don’t believe things are going to change. It’s too ingrained in the system, brutality. They have a Nazi Germany mentality. It’s chronic, and chronic means incurable. Even if they will change, it’s going to take years to undo. It takes a long time to change an ingrained system of injustice.
It’s a good idea to have civilian oversight and review. There must be civilian people watching over them. If you just take it to internal affairs, they’re police, too, and they watch out for their own.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
