(NYC RELIGIONS) — Most New Yorkers agree that crime is a serious problem. Some can move elsewhere if they want, but the rest of us will either suffer alone or join together to find a way to reclaim our neighborhoods.
Of course, we who stand our ground against crime will need the New York Police Department to stand fully with us. That will be the hardest part, considering the reality of broken trust, starting several years ago but exploding in 2020 when over 35,000 NYPD officers were blamed for the horrifying actions of one bad cop – in Minnesota.
The gross unfairness of this collective blame is clear. But something must be done, beyond apologies and promises of more funding. Either we heal the injustices with real and enduring solutions, or we will leave New Yorkers trapped between anti-social criminals and a distrusting, risk-averse police force, leading only to more injustice with the poor suffering the most.
No matter what political promises are made to our police organizations, they know – and every cop on the beat knows – that one mistake is all it takes to have unholy hell descend on you and your family.
