BLOOMSBURG- Police Brutality has been a hot topic throughout the country in recent times, and CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien has been discussing the topic in the documentary series Black in America.
O’Brien says that policing in minority communities is different from in white communities, “The data supports the fact that young black men are treated very differently than their white counterparts in the same age group. We wanted to explore stop and frisk in New York City and really explore policing. Our goal was to take a look at how police work in communities of color and how do they police effectively.”
O’Brien says there are successful cases of community policing that do not receive the publicity that the cases of police brutality do, “I think any community that is really focused on a community policing, meaning they recognize that the job of policing is to protect and serve. I think when you assume that most of the police officers are good people trying to do their jobs, and most of the community are good people trying to live in safety, it takes you a long way. We find that when both sides try to navigate a way forward, it can be a win.”
Soledad O’Brien has been traveling across the country on the Black in America tour and discussing America’s racial issues. She recently spoke at Bloomsburg University, and was a guest on WKOK’s On The Mark program. You can download that program here. (Emily Engle)