Opinion: Should the public be able to see the truth?

Imagine yourself walking down the streets of LA and you see a bunch of police officers stopped at the corner of each street. What would be the first thoughts that run through your mind? How would you react? A lot of people would be intimidated only because of certain cases that have happened in the past. People say that the law enforcement is corrupt and they want more reassurance about our protective services. Now the question in mind is should the public have access to the viewings of cases that deal with police shootings or any other sustained misconduct committed by police officers?

Sen. Mark Leno proposed a change to bring to California in line with 10 other states, including Texas and Florida, that provide public access to investigative details, findings and disciplinary actions when officers are found to have acted improperly. Now a lot of people might oppose it and a lot of people might be for it but the question is, is it the right thing to do? Should the public be exposed to the violence that the police face? Some people might not feel comfortable with seeing a video of somebody getting shot at or a police officer beating someone. So what’s the alternative? Should the law pass and be practiced the way they practice sending by summons to random people to do jury duty? Or should they just televise these incidents?

“The public has a right to know when officers apply deadly force and when serious cases of misconduct have been confirmed,” Leno said. “Failing to disclose such important information can fuel mistrust within our communities and threaten public safety.” And Senator Leno makes a valid point when he is addressing the issue.

The benefits that can come out of this possible law could drastically change a tremendous amount of doubts that the public has. Leno has a point when he states, if the law enforcement does not provide the opportunity for the public to see footage of a case that they’re questioning, the communities would have even a bigger reason to not have any trust in our own law enforcement. Especially with how everything around us is changing, the police have to be even more careful just as the public has to always stay alert.

But the real question is why are police officers using excessive force or deadly force when there is no need for it? Aren’t they supposed to be the trained professionals? When someone becomes a police officer, they’re trained to keep their composure especially when someone is trying to give them a hard time. So what happens when they do lose their composure? Is that when they use deadly or excessive force? A lot of people don’t understand what the law enforcement goes through on a daily basis.

In the line of duty, it’s always hard to make the right decision, they’re always constantly thinking if they will be able to get back to their family. How should we feel as a society? Should we be able to see the truth or should they keep on hiding it from us?