Dear Future President,

You should be aware of the rise in police misconduct involving unjustified shootings on specific racial groups. The job of a police officer is to protect the people, but instead they target African Americans without any valid reason to do so. Many officers are not charged or put on blame. The case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri is one of many incidents. Police shot Brown at least 6 times when witnesses claim he had his hands up.

U.S. officers have killed at least 194 black people in 2016. Philando Castile was shot and killed in Minnesota on tape which was released showing Castile bleeding to death from gunshot wounds because of a damaged taillight. Alton Sterling was fatally shot as he was selling CDs in front of a convenience store. Two videos were released displaying Sterling laying on the ground and being shot at a close range. Another video shows a police officer searching Sterling and uncovered no dangerous weapons. These violent accounts demonstrate how police should be more aware of their actions especially while on duty. Officers tend to misjudge situations and take less than a minute to shoot unarmed individuals. It then causes an outrage with protesters who want police officers dead. After every unreasonable shooting of an innocent victim, the officer always finds every excuse to justify his actions. It is uncommon that police officers are charged or punished for killing someone, which is why I'm speaking up in this letter for the voices who cannot be heard. Police are teaching others that violence is the answer to everything. With these problems becoming more serious, it should be handled in ways that are healthy for the community. People should not have to experience their loved ones being shot by officers for playing with toy guns or mistaken for carrying a real gun. The importance of everyone's safety is top priority and by killing innocent individuals makes things worse. Rather than protecting others, police are making it more dangerous for people out in the streets. Because of skin color and how people dress, officers are quick to make assumptions. Police should be trained more effectively on how to handle certain situations and not use their deadly weapons so often. All lives matter, therefore police officers should be more considerate of the people's lives that they hold in their hands. Officers have the power to take someone's life in an instant and the ones they shoot cause devastation within their loved ones and the public as well. 

                                                                                             Sincerely,

                                                                                                          Connie