The following is an interview with Michael Wood, Jr. on The Slate. Wood is a medically-retired Baltimore police officer with 11 years of experience.
He has a lot to say about the problems facing police and why trust and support between police and people of color has been eroded. I find his comments to be true to my experience and understanding as well.
More officers like Wood need to stand up, speak up and help police improve.
Wood asks: “What are we actually doing?” “What are our goals?”
“This past year has seen an enormous amount of attention paid to the toxic divide between police departments and the poor, black communities they serve. One thing we’ve learned is that tribal loyalty often prevents police officers from criticizing each other or their departments publicly—and at least sometimes, they lie when one of their own faces charges of misconduct. That’s why the recent emergence of Michael Wood Jr., a retired Baltimore cop, as a critic of law enforcement culture landed with impact: His voice was the relatively rare one that spoke with the knowledge of an insider but the unforgiving skepticism of an outsider.
“In this video, you’ll meet Wood while he drives the streets of the city where he served as a police officer for 11 years, and hear him lay out his conception of what’s going wrong in the world of policing and how it could be made right.
Only have a minute? Here are the parts you shouldn’t miss:
- At 2:40, Wood describes his biggest fear while working on the force.
- At 6:20, he identifies the type of officers who are most likely to act irrationally in high-stress situations.
- At 8:10, Wood pivots to a systemic problem throughout the force: how easily anger among officers can turn toxic.
- At 10:30, Wood offers his own proposal to change the cycle.
Improving Police: A Necessary Conversation 
Very interesting and I’m also happy some are coming out and speaking out in the hope someone will listen and actually do something about it for a change that is long over due.
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Reblogged this on Shediac1981; A Blue Wall of Silence.
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Reblogged this on e-Roll Call Magazine.
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Wood has already been widely discredited, and there’s no need to repeat those criticisms. However, at a minimum, it should be noted that he clearly misstated the deadly force standard, and, by his own admission, took no action after a suspect was allegedly assaulted. Given only those two points, it’s difficult to take him seriously as an advocate for police reform. As police leaders, we understand our profession can make significant improvements, but perhaps Wood should tend to the beam in his own eye.
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WE need fewer whistle-blowers and more active leaders in policing. It is leadership that will determine whether or not American policing emerges out of this crisis as worthy of support and our nation’s trust. Press on!
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