Real Policing...

Ironic.  The day I post on policing I find myself in the middle of a debacle.  I went to see a step show in a midsize American city.  The event was in an amazing old (for american standards) venue.  There were probably 1500 people there, almost all of which were african-american save the venue staff, and four white people that I saw.  The show was great (the hour it lasted).  But at almost an hour into the show, a fight broke out in the balcony near where we were sitting.  People began to scatter, the fight moved about that section and was eventually squelched by the police with their characteristic knee in the back while handcuffing a young kid.  Now, the performers in this event were mostly high school and college teams, though there was one junior high team.  Hence the audience was largely the same.  Within a few minutes of the fight being stopped the lights came on and the show was stopped (though I must give credit to the Alpha phi Alpha team for stepping right through the fracas, not to be deterred).  Following the end of their performance the organizers stopped the show.

Now lets examine this, how many people have ever been to a show of any kind and there was a fight?  Heavy metal concerts are fights, especially in the mosh pit.  What about concerts full of drugs, and anything else?  A high school football game?  I've heard of a fire alarm going off in a electronica trance funk type show and the show continuing on.  I was amazed that at the door though for this step event, there was NO security.  No frisking, no wanding, no metal detectors, no nothing.  There wasn't even any real security watching as people came in.  There were two police officers there that I saw at one point.  Now think about concerts or other events, security is impeccable (down to taking in water), but with a blind eye to certain things and substances.  The event was poorly organized.    

Anyway, the point of all this is what happens from there.  After the show got closed down the cops rolled in.  at least 30 police officers, including three I saw three mounted on horseback.  Within the theater it was abysmal, 15-16 year old kids (rightfully upset that the show was canceled) yet NOT causing any trouble, and the cops are pushing them out the door, literally, pushing them.  Rude as can be, like they all were criminals (it was about 10 degrees fahrenheit, -13ish celsius).  Now the worst thing about this is that as a white person, I was spared of all of this.  I was able to walk up to event staff and chat with them about the situation, I was able to ask about a money refund, and the police didn't push or harass me at all.  Outside in a mob of people the cops were a huge display, I mean cars with their lights on ever curb and corner, horses, menacing, etc.  I saw one walking around with his chrome extendable stick ready to just start hitting people, and he looked like he was 'looking' to.  And the saddest thing about it, is as a white face in the middle of a sea of black, they didn't bother me at all.  Even chatted with me as I asked for directions.

This was an overwhelming use of force and an underwhelming display of any form of compassion, understanding, and/or racial (or any other kind of) understanding or sensativity.  Now obviously, the kids need not to fight.  American society and culture needs to find a cure for this (maybe take away the me first, individualism and 'tuff guy' mentality that is 'cool'), and the cops are responding based on history and training.  But ONE fight!?! and this is the display of force you bring out to show a bunch of 12-22 year old kids?  What do you expect them to think of 'cops'?  They were shown no respect and no understanding because of just a couple individuals.  And I tell you this and you can believe it or not, but in my wholly honest opinion, if this was a regular concert - full of white faces - one fight would not have stopped the show, never mind bring the entire police force down upon these kids.  It was abysmal.  We just keep making things worse for ourselves, on both sides and as a society.