Calling the Cops
"When most kids talk to the police, their guard is up."
By Krystle Martin
The police are out there to protect us, but I don't feel safe.
Sure, I've called the police before, like when my sister's car
was vandalized. There's no one else you can call. The problem is their attitude
could be nice or hostile.
When most kids talk to the police, their guard is up. Our past
experiences have been either bad or really bad. I guess because police expect
you to be criminals.
There are not a lot of activities in Oakland, so all you can do
is stand on street corners hanging out with your friends. When the police patrol
the area and see you, it gives them the initiative to stop. They come out of
nowhere, "What are you doing?'' And even if you aren't doing anything,
they want you to leave. You can't stand on the corner. They are trying to make
sure nothing is going on, and that's good. But at the same time, they are stereotyping
you.
It's weird. My uncle was a police officer in West Oakland. I was
driving with him one day and everyone in the neighborhood knew him. He was moved
from that beat because the administration thought he was too social. But you
want the police to be out there, interacting with people, not just bossing people
around, but being personal, one-on-one.
— Krystle Martin is a 16-year-old student at Emiliano Zapata Street Academy.
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