Dear Editor of the Sun-Times, November 5, 2024
I read your recent post regarding Chicago police reform. One point I, also, see is that police brutality/mistakes are very expensive to taxpayers. Obviously, they should be prevented. The Gallup poll you reported found that a majority of Blacks and Hispanics want “a major change” in policing. I am white and want this, too. But since there are so many guns in the USA now, police officers are at severe risk. Any effort to harmonize police and public interaction would, I think, be useful.
The Mayor’s cuts in the police budget, you report, would affect the counseling division. This is a horrible idea, in a world and nation full of trauma, which especially effects police officers; I suggest a major increase in counseling and therapy for police, instead.
Prevention of crime is a huge issue that depends not just on creating safety; this is national and worldly in scope. The human condition today brings aggression with it, as we struggle to meet our needs with methods from the past. We can evolve. However, today, cops are risking their lives as a matter of course. This must make them furious and in need of mental health support.
I suggest 3 things for police reform. One is, train officers in capoeira and jiu jitsu, both Brazilian martial arts. I think this would help officers feel more powerful. Other citizens should also employ this method of mental strengthening. Playing soccer would also be great training.
Secondly, increase, don’t decrease, funding for therapy for officers—and every other Chicagoan!
Third, figure out language for all citizens who speak English to use in tricky situations, such as scripts for both parties: people interacting with police, and police talking with the public. I suggest also that these behavior explorations be combined into one televised class for all City employees and, optionally, residents, called Community Gist or whatever you like.
Sincerely,
C. Jenny Walbridge