LOUIS ‘HOP’ KEDRICK
The most recent incident between a police officer and Black, law-abiding citizens took place in Homewood. Two Black men, an educator and a photographer allegedly became victims of a police officer. The educator was arrested and charged and the photographer was mentally if not physically abused.
Are these ongoing, atrocious acts by people with awesome power a coincidence? I think not. Some of my best friends are police officers and I have had many discussions with them over the years, with Black and White officers, and the physiological changes that have taken place varies. Then there are those law abiding gainfully employed citizens living in the suburbs, who believe the police are always right—until it happens to them or theirs.
Over the years the need has existed for me to remind some people who moved up and out to the suburbs about the quote by Malcolm X. Do you remember? “You may have graduated magnum cum laude from Howard or Harvard University, but to some people you are just a smart N——R.”
I remember an occasion that I was riding with Inspector Muggsy Moore and a police officer that was directing traffic, failed to recognize the inspector and cussed him out before he realized who it was. He apologized.
You have heard me say over the years that police have the power to arrest, imprison or to kill and generally with impunity. Police work can be dangerous, but in my estimation more psychological than physical. One of my previous tasks was to help evaluate potential police candidates, and frequently those whom I thought would pass the psychological tests would fail and those I thought would fail would pass. In 2012 I appeared before Pittsburgh City Council with a proposal to make some possible changes in the hiring policy relating to police officers; it was ignored. It is my sincere belief that Pittsburgh should extend the probationary period for the official hiring of a police officer. After police officers have graduated from the police academy and worked on the streets for a year they should be required to take another psychological exam before their position can become permanent.
Do you personally know anyone who became a police officer? I have witnessed first hand a number of transformations. An officer said, “All of my life I got my ass beat, but it is my time now.” I’ve witnessed that they grow in their minds from 160 lbs. to 200 lbs., from five foot eight to six foot eight. I will always remember a regular customer of a neighbor bar, who was one of the worst at using profanity, but upon graduating from the Pittsburgh Police Academy came in the bar and stated emphatically that from this day on there will be no more cursing in this bar. And the tragedy was that he was serious about his newfound power. This was at the beginning of a police career that he proved to be power drunk and color of skin made no difference.
I have witnessed how the system works from every aspect as a detective, city of Pittsburgh investigator, Allegheny County investigator, and from being arrested five times. I was never found guilty, but I was often branded by some police as a smart Alec, because I could quote my constitutional rights and truly understood that I am an American citizen entitled to all of the rights that any other first class citizen is entitled.
Police will state regularly that the citizens must understand the risks they take as a police officer and they are correct, but when they applied for the position they clearly understood the risks involved. For example when the city advertises that there are 20 police positions available more than a thousand people apply, the potential dangers do not discourage them. As a detective I was made aware a number of times that people are people no matter what they do for a living and racism has no barriers.
When Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated I was called into the office to help enforce some of the police departments in Allegheny County. Upon entering the office a minority of the detectives were singing at the top of their voices, “Thank God the Coon is dead.” The majority did not engage, but never intervened to stop it. I live in the 12th ward and we recognize the importance and need for police, but definitely not police who duplicate the despicable actions of Alabama’s Bull Connors.
Kingsley Association needs your financial support.
(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a weekly contributor to the Forum Page.)
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