Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields met Tuesday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's editorial board for a wide-ranging interview touching on everything from the massacre in Las Vegas to marijuana legalization to use of force.
That led to a conversation about NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem to protest inequalities in the U.S. by law enforcement and other institutions. Shields’ candor is atypical of people in her position so we’re sharing her comments in full:
“I understand that black people have been victimized and unfairly targeted by law enforcement for generations. And it is not just law enforcement. We are society, we are a continuium of society. I am hiring kids that are kids of your colleagues.
So it wasn’t law enforcement that necessarily brought them to the space where they have inherent or open bias. It was law enforcement, though, that made it acceptable within their law enforcement duties. I get it. And I get that you can’t unfairly target people for generations and think that you’re going to turn around that perception in a couple of years. We have to do better.
Credit: William Thweatt
Credit: William Thweatt
“I do think we have to take ownership. I always call it the Buckhead test (referring to one of Atlanta’s more affluent, and predominantly white, communities). Would you do it in Buckhead? And if you wouldn’t do it in Buckhead you shouldn’t be doing it. And all too often I think, historically in particular and now to a degree, a lot of policing wouldn’t pass the Buckhead test.
“So I get it. It’s their platform to be heard, to bring awareness. I think my frustration is twofold. If you’re in the NFL you’re in an exceptional position. It is a privileged position. So few people get there. Are you optimizing the space you’re in. Could you do more? How many of them that are making noise and really mad are making any effort to connect with kids and help them. And you have to do that.
MORE from Chief Shields: Atlanta police to tak an 'aerial view' of big events after Las Vegas
“And then the other frustration I have is with the white folks who think if I kneel with you or hold your hands I understand. It’s not that easy. For a white person it is so different. I’ve been doing this for 23 years where I have been immersed in poverty. Race. Everyday a part of my job. There’s a level of awareness that only can come when you really, really understand the shoes that someone else is standing in. And to just kneel or give a soundbite or say let’s all hold hands and sway and to say you somehow get it. That’s bull----.
“I’d look at these athletes, black and white, and say, ‘If you’re really serious about this, all of you can do more.’”
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