More Than A Magazine, A Movement
With the national conversation around police reform still resonating loudly around the country, documentary film “Women in Blue” shines a spotlight on the women within the Minneapolis Police Department working to reform it from the inside by fighting for gender equity.
Join Ms. for an exclusive screening of “Women in Blue” on Thursday, February 4 at 4:00 p.m PT / 7:00 p.m. ET. Then, stick around after the film for a live Q&A discussion.
A new billboard in Times Square demands that the New York Police Department (NYPD) be held accountable for instances of brutality, and for $300 million worth of lawsuits paid by taxpayers over the past five years. The sign is positioned across from the NYPD station, where officers can see the video directly.
You’ve probably seen the images on TV or social media or in the newspaper. Portland is in chaos. Portland is being destroyed nightly by rioters and looters. According to right wing media, Portland needs federal intervention because local officials have lost control of the city.
But what’s actually happening on the ground in Portland?
Since their arrival in Portland, the federal officers deployed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have sparked national attention and outrage. The officers, along with the Trump administration, have entirely disregarded the desires of local officials, and have threatened the safety of numerous Portland protesters.
“We don’t have a secret police in this country. This is not a dictatorship” said Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.). “And Trump needs to get his officers off the streets.”
Black and brown people are too often killed with impunity by police. Now may be a tipping point and we should not squander this opportunity to make fundamental changes in policing.
The fact is that women in law enforcement respond differently. We are not talking about a few token women—but when gender parity is realized, policing fundamentally changes.
June 5 marks what would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. Activists and members of Taylor’s community urge individuals to #SayHerName—a campaign created to raise awareness about the number of women and girls that are killed by law enforcement officers.
17-year-old Stephanie Lopez started advocating at school board meetings for school resource officers (SROs)—armed, district-funded trained police officers—to be replaced with adult hall monitors. By involving staff who would get to know the students instead of giving them citation, Lopez is looking for a more holistic approach to student management.
Domestic violence is the most common reason people in the U.S. call the police, comprising 15 to 50 percent of 911 calls—but journalist Cari Shane posits in a recent piece that “it should be more.”
The issue of police brutality and distrust is still pervasive, especially between minority groups and the police. And after taking a look into the Facebook accounts of thousands of officers, the reasons for police distrust have become even clearer.
Jazmine Headley went to a city office for a child care voucher so she could start a new job—instead, she got arrested and her baby was savagely ripped from her arms.
