I want to live in a nation of peace. This past year there has been around 802 incidents were civilians have been shot and killed by police. It makes millions of others (myself included) feel disgusted. If our country does the following, I believe that we can decrease police brutality across the U.S.

Every single police officer should obey the fourth amendment, which police should be doing in the first place. The fourth amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. Black people and Latinos are four times more likely to be stopped by police while driving than white people are. Police are supposed to alert someone of their rights to refuse a search. Police rarely do this. Officers should have to present documentary proof of consent (written,audio,video). Police should also to tell the civilian that there will not be any negative outcomes if the person refuses. If police do not do this, then it's unconstitutional.

Body cameras should be on every officer when on duty. Citizens should have the right to access the footage caught on these cameras if the footage involves them. This would protect civilians there right to film police.

Our police should not have any type of military equipment. All 50 states have been requesting military weapons. There's no reason for it.

Maybe it's hard to legally determine when police use excessive force because there's no national standard for what excessive force is. There should be policies that let other officers step in if one officer is going overboard.

Police are trained over 60 hours on how to handle a gun. But they only train a minimum of eight hours on how to calm a situation. Police need to be trained on how to be a better community. This should include culture, diversity, mental illness, youth development, and bias and racism.

If police follow these guidelines, I believe that we can make a difference. I don't want to keep on watching the news and see another innocent killed by police. More people than ever before walk out of their homes afraid for their lives. Nobody deserves to feel like that. Let's start the change today.

I would like to dedicate this letter to the following:

Tyre King

Jordan Baker

Michael Brown

Tanisha Anderson

Eric Garner

Yvette Smith

Tamir Rice

Eric Harris

Rumain Brisbon

Cameron Tillman

Phillip White

Tony Robinson

Dante Parker

Dontre Hamilton

Akai Gurley

Ezell Ford

Walter Scott

Freddie Gray

Jerome Reid

John Crawford III