(ThyBlackMan.com) As a man who once carried a badge, a citizen who monitors police brutality and a concerned African American dad, I have to tell you there is an epidemic of police brutality and misconduct in this country. Their actions are often covert and protected by their departments, the courts and district attorneys who look the other way. You have only heard of a few cases like Philando Castile (http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/philando-castile-trial-verdict/index.html) , Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Sandra Bland because they were caught on tape, But I submit to you that for every case of police brutality, abuse of power, violation of oath of office or otherwise criminal behavior, there are probably 10 more cases that you never see or hear about.
It’s not just the criminals and perpetrators who end up as victims of the police. It is people who dare to speak out, stand up and blow the whistle. Police officers who either report, stop or arrest other police 
officers for crimes against citizens are often victims of crooked law enforcement as well. If you don’t believe me, try visiting www.policemisconduct.net or www.killedbypolice.net and see for yourself. The news media is silent regarding most of these incidents so the public has no idea how widespread police brutality and police misconduct are. And finally, there is the incorrect assumption by private citizens that the victim of police brutality must have been guilty, up to something or got what he deserved. In many cases, wrong again.
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We complain, we march, we rally and protest. Then we quiet down while the devastation continues, particularly against African Americans and other “minorities” like Hispanics. Meanwhile payoffs, payouts and gag orders silence the families of the victims and e never hear anymore about them. But no amount of money can replace a life and no amount of money can rebuild a family that has lost a dad, a mom, a son or a daughter.
President Donald Trump protects and favors the police over the citizen and that leaves a great many officers thinking they can get away with almost anything – and many of them do just that. There is a ton of evidence to show his bias and another ton of evidence to show increases in police hostility towards citizens. There are good police officer out there, no doubt about it. But there are many more poorly trained, racist, mentally unstable, abusive and/or crooked officers out there than you would believe.
Police misconduct is not just limited to police brutality. They also have covert ways of retaliating against people who expose them on video, people who blow the whistle and even officers who stand up for citizens. I could give you a dozen examples with proof for each, but if it takes that to convince you, it’s not worth it.
So what’s a private citizen to do? Wake up. Pay attention. Be proactive when something happens because it could happen to you.There are also several watchdog groups nationwide. The ACLU, for example, provides helpful information. There are also several civil rights action groups. Call them, share your story and your evidence. Blow the whistle on bad cops and hold politicians and judges accountable at the ballot box when they protect them.
Capture incidents on your phone (pictures and video) then post it o social media or send it to the news media. Install dashcams in your vehicles. Warn your family and friends about bad officers, profiling and stereotypes. Notify your city council, the mayor’s office or your county commission. But be careful because very often they may side with the police or even have things in place to covertly retaliate against you. Therefore there is a time to be oert and a time to be anonymous.
The goal is to be safe and walk out of any police encounter you may have with no charges and your safety intact. Keep that in mind as your goal and it will be easier to comply with police instructions. Even if he/she violates your rights, the shorter the encounter the better and the safer it will be for you. There are many peaceful and lawful ways to deal with a bad police officer. But none of them are very effective when you are in the hospital, the jail or the morgue. Use your head. Keep yourself calm. And never allow someone to push your buttons or trigger you to react confrontationally. Stay safe and share this article with everyone you know.
Staff Writer; Trevo Craw