Police relations not just a black, urban issue

Distrust of law enforcement is not unique to Ferguson and New York City, but present in communities of color across the nation. Yet discussions of police misconduct in mainstream and social media sometimes characterize the problem as one that exists only between blacks and whites in urban areas – African Americans on one side, white officers on the other. Youth reporters in rural, predominantly Latino areas of California surveyed people in their communities about how they perceive local law enforcement. “In the immigrant community here, that distrust is definitely there … in terms of seeing the police department as something that is supposed to protect and serve the community. I know local law enforcement is making an effort to change that, but it’s still the dominant view of them.” Read more responses on South Kern Sol and Coachella Unincorporated.