Once upon a time in small communities like Brooklyn, NY, residents would walk down the street and see a neighborhood patrolman, we will call him officer McMurphy, rousing the local hooligans for missing school, loitering or just general perceived mischief. Now back then this wasn’t profiling, racial or otherwise, because McMurphy walked the beat regularly and in all ethnic neighborhoods. The natural familiarity bred an understanding and in many instances mutual respect. McMurphy generally knew who the usual suspects were and if it were someone new, it was not unheard of to have the community point out the culprits.

 

Now this fictional scenario indeed seems straight from the fairytales specially considering the present day untrusting if not antagonistic relationship that exists amongst law enforcement and civilians, particularly in more urban and populated areas. Yet, it was very real. READ MORE