Dear Mr/Mrs president,

My name is Elis Uwenayo, and I am a freshman at Stem prep high school. I am writing to you today to let you know that police brutality and racial profiling is an important issue in today’s society. Millions of people across the united states are affected by police brutality each year

According to the Law Dictionary, “Police brutality is the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians. “Excessive use of force” means a force well beyond what would be necessary in order to handle a situation. Police brutality can be present in a number of ways. The most obvious form of police brutality is a physical form. Police officers can use nerve gas, batons, pepper spray, and guns in order to physically intimidate or even intentionally hurt civilians. Police brutality can also take the form of false arrests, verbal abuse, psychological intimidation, sexual abuse, police corruption, racial profiling, political repression and the improper use of Tasers.”

Over the years police brutality through the form of Racial Profiling has increased over the years with the death of April 30, 2014: Dontre Hamilton (Milwaukee), July 17, 2014: Eric Garner (New York), Aug. 5, 2014: John Crawford III (Dayton, Ohio), Aug. 9, 2014: Michael Brown Jr. (Ferguson, Missouri), Aug. 11, 2014: Ezell Ford (Florence, California), Aug. 12, 2014: Dante Parker (Victorville, California),Nov. 13, 2014: Tanisha Anderson (Cleveland), Nov. 20, 2014: Akai Gurley (Brooklyn, New York), Nov. 22, 2014: Tamir Rice (Cleveland), Dec. 2, 2014: Rumain Brisbon (Phoenix), Dec. 30, 2014: Jerame Reid (Bridgeton, New Jersey), March 6, 2015: Tony Robinson (Madison, Wisconsin), March 31, 2015: Phillip White (Vineland, New Jersey), April 2, 2015: Eric Harris (Tulsa, Oklahoma), April 4, 2015: Walter Scott (North Charleston, South Carolina), April 19, 2015: Freddie Gray (Baltimore) and Terence Crutcher was shot and killed by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In all of these cases, the police officer charges were cleared or lightly charged.

Police brutality and racial profiling are issues that can no longer wait or pushed back to future generations. This is an issue that takes innocent lives each year.

Few ways to fix this problem is to pass a law that all officers need to wear a camera in order to monitor their activity or building a closer relationship between communities and the police.

Sincerely,

Elis Uwenayo