Demanding Accountability

Montreal Police: Are they doing what is RIGHT or what is WHITE

“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” Charles de Montesquieu, “The Spirit of the Laws,” 1748

Once again a tragic déjà vu has played out in our community; we were forced to grapple with fresh accounts of police misconduct in its deadliest incarnation. Once again, the victim is a Black male and the perpetrators are the very public servants charged with keeping him – in fact, all of us – safe.
Only the city and the circumstances have changed. Considering the most recent death, and Montreal’s desperate need for solutions I believe economic responses will assist the process. To deliver on the promise of fair treatment by law enforcement for every citizen, then we the citizens, community stakeholders, leaders, policy-makers and politicians, must all commit to play our part in the long haul to right the historic wrong of the unequal treatment of visible minorities and Indigenous people.
The usual excuses and legal rationales will be proffered, but the bottom line is that the taxpayers will pay dearly for this tragedy. Yes, the taxpayers not the police will pay dearly for the tragedies, which reveal a not- often discussed and overlooked aspect—the economic side.
It is apparent that there are times when the police deal with the stereotype instead of the individual. Additionally, there are times when those on the inside of the system must ask themselves, “Are we doing what is RIGHT or what is WHITE?”
Black males have become the victims of the stereotypes of a white culture. There is a distinct culture in law enforcement, and undeniably a culture within a culture. Many people know it exists but have no clue as to the depths of its impact.
We are aware there is racism, and there is unbridled hatred. Some do not know how expansive it is until they become a victim of it.
I think the time has finally arrived for police throughout this country, to realize that taxpayers pay their salaries, which should give them the power to demand that police live in the city and that the police department reflect the community.
If you live in a community or city, you are going to be more concerned about law enforcement, business, education or the overall condition of that city, over someone who gets up every morning, travels to somewhere in which he/she knows little to nothing about, and has little invested interest in, because it is just a paycheck.
The police departments throughout this country should be servants of the people, and they should have to answer to the people. However, one of the less –discussed aspects of policing is the financial impact of police misconduct on cities and taxpayers.
Among the core demands of protesters during marches have been to hold police accountable
for their actions. Such an objective can be achieved by making personal liability insurance mandatory for individual police officers, which would work just the same as it does for legal professionals, medical professionals and even drivers among many others.
Policemen are public officers who carry a badge and a gun, and as such they should be subjected to risk assessment.
Reckless driving actions cause a driver’s premium to go sky high, with eventual pricing out of driving. Similarly, police officers who engage in reckless and/ or dangerous behavior can be priced out of policing by high premiums that reflect the actual risk that they pose.
Initially the average base premium would be covered by the police department with each officer required to pay anything above based on their individual behavior. Premiums will be based specifically on a risk algorithm.
In Quebec such a proposed move has not become a reality because of the powerful union for whom this is something they are very much against. They want their members to be totally immunized from any responsibility – job responsibility – for dangerous, reckless policing, and they have been politically powerful enough to get what they want.
However, times are different now. This is a moment when real reform must take place.

“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” Charles de Montesquieu, “The Spirit of the Laws,” 1748