Are White Supremacists Even Capable of Police Reform?

The policing system in the United States looks to be at a fork in the road. While many people still see police officers as heroes who protect and serve their communities, a rising number of activists and politicians are hoping to alter things by capitalizing on the recent surge in media focus on state-sanctioned violence. Whether one believes the police should be abolished, reformed, or defunded, there has likely never been a period in this country's history when police officers have been subjected to such scrutiny. And rightfully so.

Cases of police violence appear on a weekly basis, each one apparently more terrible and implausible than the last. While police brutality incidents continue to make news and disproportionately affect Black people, officers may be dealing with a different problem. It's one that surfaced lately after news broke that a member of the Virginia police force had contributed money to Kyle Rittenhouse.

In the Norfolk Police Department's internal affairs section, Sgt. William Kelly is the second-highest-ranking employee. Kelly gave Rittenhouse a $25 contribution after he was charged with murder for shooting two people during the Jacob Blake demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. Kelly's gift was accompanied by a message that said, "God bless." Thank you so much for your bravery. Keep your wits about you. You haven't made any mistakes. Every police officer, rank and file, is behind you.”

Kelly, an 18-year veteran, was moved to a different section before being terminated. Kelly's termination was challenged by the police union, which claimed that the inquiry into Kelly's gift was completed "hurriedly." Kelly's statements, however, were a breach of municipal and departmental regulations, according to the police chief. It's not often that we see police officers openly arguing about the conduct of a coworker. While no one should believe the blue wall is cracking, Kelly's assertion that every "rank and file cop" supports Rittenhouse provides context for the FBI's concern that White nationalists are entering police stations around the country.

People all around the country are looking into law enforcement's links to White supremacy. An Orange County deputy is being investigated after her spouse, a member of the Proud Boys, was suspected of taking part in the Capitol disturbances. The Oath Keepers, an anti-government far-right extremist group, recently boasted of receiving training from current law enforcement officers. Stewart Rhodes, the group's founder, is being investigated for his possible involvement in the riots. At least 52 military, government, and law enforcement officers have been detained so far for their involvement in the insurgency.

The amount of curiosity over the Venn diagram of proud racists and those who wear a badge, I think, is determined upon one's view of the police. Bad cops are seen as "bad apples" by White people, a small group of policemen who abuse their power in the most heinous way conceivable. Officers like Derek Chauvin, to them, aren't emblematic of a systemic problem since he's just one guy who did something bad. We should consider police officers as heroes who sacrifice their lives for a safer society, according to their marketing. Many White individuals refuse to challenge their authority because of this concept.

When I was in high school, I discussed my feelings against the cops with one of my Black classmates and our White English teachers. We, the other Black student and I, agreed that we didn't trust the cops and that fleeing from them was the best course of action. Our teacher, taken aback by our flagrant disobedience, declared that she could never defy an officer's commands. “I mean, whenever I see a cop, I feel compelled to do everything they say without question. Aren't you all feeling the same way? I recall us both gazing at each other, then at our teacher, and giggling heartily.

In 2020, 56 percent of White people still had faith in the police, while just 19 percent of Black people did. It's a dramatic decline, and the 37-point margin between races is the worst it's ever been in the survey's almost 30-year history. It's worth mentioning that George Floyd's death was included in the 2020 poll, and White people preferred to refer to Chauvin's acts as negligence or an accident rather than murder.

It's as though they couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that he killed Floyd on camera.

Kelly's gift to Rittenhouse isn't an outlier. White supremacists have been discovered in Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana police departments since 2009. Furthermore, over 100 police agencies around the country have dealt with racist emails, messages, or online remarks made by department employees. It's why some individuals are openly debating whether American policing is even capable of improvement.

It's difficult to reform when people can't even agree that there's a problem. Despite overwhelming proof that police officers aren't perfect, many White people's opinions regarding the police haven't altered in nearly 30 years. The issue that remains unanswered is what it will take for them to realize that if you genuinely support the police, why wouldn't you want them to improve their performance?

That is, if White people believe the police's mission is to assist the community rather than to kill Black people.