The death of George Floyd has sparked nationwide protests and a national conversation on systemic racism in policing. Predictably, many police officers are responding the way they often seem to when there’s a spotlight on them: By getting in their little feelings about it.
A number of Minneapolis police officers have either resigned or are in the process of resigning–not out of disgust for the actions of their department, of course, but because they just can’t handle seeing civilians regard them as anything less than the heroes they’ve decided they are.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, seven officers have resigned since the unrest began and more are either in the process of quitting or have simply walked off the job, without making it clear whether they wish to continue being officers for the MPD.
From the Tribune:
Morale has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, say department insiders, as officers reported feeling misunderstood and squeezed by all sides: by the state probe; by protesters, who hurled bricks and epithets their way; by city leaders, who surrendered a police station that later burned on national television, and by the media. Numerous officers and protesters were injured the rioting
An uncertain fate for police is likely driving a rash of resignations for those who examine the political climate and think to themselves: “Why should I stay?” said Mylan Masson, a retired Minneapolis police officer and use-of-force expert. “They don’t feel appreciated. Everybody hates the police right now. I mean everybody.”
For the record: Everybody does not hate the cops.
It might be true that “fuck the police” voices are more amplified recently, but let’s not pretend the “Blue Lives Matter” crowd isn’t out in full force right now, calling Floyd a criminal who caused his own death.
Let’s also stop pretending that protesters hurling objects and insults at cops during protests aren’t often responding to police doing wilds shit like firing paint canisters at residents on their own porch, driving SUVs into crowds of protesters and pepper-spraying people for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Maybe police officers should consider that the bricks and shit reportedly getting hurled at them probably feel similar to the rubber bullets and tear gas being hurled at peaceful protesters.
Cops bitching and moaning about being treated “like animals and thugs” will never not be hilarious to black people who are waiting for a whole ass America to stop regarding us as the same.
Anyway, according to the Associated Press, Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder doesn’t appear to be very concerned about a few police officers leaving the force.
“There’s nothing that leads us to believe that at this point the numbers are so great that it’s going to be problematic,” Elder said. “People seek to leave employment for a myriad reasons — the MPD is no exception.”