LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE AGE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER: POLICING BLACK AND BROWN BODIES - CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON RACE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE. This item is unavailable.LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE AGE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER: POLICING BLACK AND BROWN BODIES - CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON RACE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE

There is a reason why people claim great respect for officers of the law: the job, by description, is hard—if not deadly. It takes a certain kind of person to accept the consequences of the job— seeing the very worst situations, on a regular basis, and knowing that one’s life is on the line every hour of every day. Working in law enforcement is emotionally and psychologically draining. It affects these public servants both on and off the job. Said plainly, shaking an officers’ hand when you see them or posting a sign in the front yard that reads “Support the Badge” is lip service. Even going as far as to donate money to a crowdsourcing fundraising site does little to support the long-term professional development needs of officers. These are surface level signs of solidarity, and do little in terms of showing respect for the job and those who do it. For those who want to do more, this text provides reasons and a rationale for doing better by these public servants. Showing respect does not mean that one agrees with whatever another person or institution claims to be the “right” way. Showing respect and admiration means that we charge individuals to live up to their fullest potentials and integrate innovation wherever possible. In the case of policing in the era of Black Lives Matters, policing as usual simply is not an option any longer. It is disrespectful, to both the officers and those who are being policed, to rest on the laurels of past policing tactics. As we enter a time period in which police interactions are recorded (dash cams or body cams, for example) and new populations are being targeted (Latinx people), there is much to learn about what is working and what is not.

Sandra E. Weissinger is assistant professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Dwayne A. Mack is professor of history at Berea College.

Hector Y. Adames earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Wright State University in Ohio. He completed an internship in neuropsychology and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience. Dr. Adames currently holds an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where he teaches graduate courses in assessment, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, and research methods. He is licensed in both Illinois and New York, and is bilingual, providing clinical services in both English and Spanish.

Tony Gaskew is professor of criminal justice, affiliate faculty of Africana studies, director of the criminal justice program, and founding director of the prison education program at the University of Pittsburgh, Bradford.