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June 2020
Dear Honorable Mayor Bill De Blasio, This previous week, while I looked into a few occasions that respected the life of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the numerous other black people who have been murdered by cops, I ended up thinking about local efforts to change our police division in New York. The murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor is a constant reminder and merely the tip of the iceberg with police brutality and how hard it is being black in America. I want the police to be reformed into a unit that people of color can feel safe reaching out to. Some things that would help reform the police into a better state:
These are just a few suggestions for laws to be implemented in New York to eliminate police brutality. Also, defunding the police force can allow for billions of dollars to be put towards better causes that can allow for ways to better the youth and help rehabilitate criminals and felons after prison. Sincerely, Colin Defreitas 8th Grade Student Achievement First Apollo Middle School
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June 2020
To the Honorable Scott Stringer, During these few months of 2020 so many things have happened but the one that shook me to the core was the death of Geroge Floyd and the brutality of police getting out of hand. I am a seventh grade student of Achievement First Apollo Middle in Brooklyn, New York. Police brutality has been happening for years and no matter what people of color did it would never stop. But there was one thing that did shock me which is the amount of funding the police department gets when there are other important services that are not. So, the funding the police get should be decreased because they don’t deserve it when so many problems arise because of them. The police department's purpose is to manage crime. But in recent data, it shows that abused women of over 80% said that they wouldn’t call the police because they would be scared that their abuser wouldn’t get the proper convenience and would come back and do it again. In a recent poll of homeless people in Seattle said that they would rather call a mental health technician to help them instead of a cop. Also, as it's a cop job to manage crime it has been said that social services are proven more effective for crime prevention. While NYC has a budget of $6 billion police itself, Mayor De Blasio had $800 million cuts to the Department of education. There would also be $5 million cuts to the SONYC after school program for middle school students. 4 in 5 people have not called the police in emergencies because they were afraid that the cops wouldn't do anything and that they would only make the situation worse. When social problems are unaddressed they lead to high crime rates because if they fund social services that help people others will get the proper care they need. Therefore, as a government official, you have the power to help defund the police and use the money to fund more reasonable places that would help NY as a whole. For example like schools so students can get all the resources they need and new experiences through trips. Some of the $6 billion could also go to after school programs so people can feel safe within their community and etc. If you can help in any way possible please get back to me. Sincerely, Oluwadamilola A. Kehinde 8th Grade Student Achievement First Apollo Middle School June 2020
Dear Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, I live in Brooklyn, New York. I am writing to express my concern with how some of the police are being trained. It is my understanding that some police officers do not know how to interact in certain situations when it has to do with another race. I want to see better mandatory bias training that actually teaches police to not be biased. Bias training is important because it will make more police officers do the same thing for different races during a situation. This will help create less police brutality. This will also make me have more faith in the police than before. I would trust the police more when I need to call them. Before the police only spent 8 hours learning how to not escalate bad situations in training, but they had 58 hours to learn how to use guns. That's a large difference. I hope the officials will take more time for bias training and try to find a better way to fix the way of teaching bias training. I urge you to try to go against this issue by signing the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is an act that will cover police accountability, transparency, training, and justice for victims. I hope you take action on this problem. Sincerely, Chyla A. 8th Grade Student Achievement First Apollo Middle School June 2020
Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, I am a black person myself and I support the Black Lives Matter community. I am writing to address my concern over police brutality. Many people like Breonna Taylor are being killed because of police brutality just because of their skin color. I think that we should put an end to police brutality between blacks and that we should start actually firing and charging police officers who murder and kill black people just because of their skin color. We need to make a change because this has been happening for years and many innocent people who didn't deserve to die were dying more and more each year just because of police brutality. This change would mean alot to me because many people like me and black people would start not being scared to go outside and call the police if something goes wrong just because of their skin color. I urge you to sign the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. The Justice in Policing Act of 202 would make it easier to prosecute police misconduct and demilitarize police departments around the country. The most important part of the bill is that it would make it easier to punish the police who harmed and murdered people and also it would create new standards for law enforcement accreditation. This decision is very important to me because it will charge many police officers who killed someone and make them suffer more consequences. If I can help in any way possible please let me know. Thank you! Sincerely, Laila Davis 8th Grade Student Achievement First Apollo Middle School June 2020
Honorable Mayor Greg Fischer, My name is Jomar Madera, I live in Brooklyn New York, I am a 7th grade scholar at Achievement First Apollo Middle School a Charter School that mainly serves African American and minority students and I would like to say that I am honored to have you as one of our government representatives. Lately, there have been many instances where minorities have been attacked and killed just because of their skin color and it is a matter that we as a community need to sit down and discuss. I am a first generation american and a dark colored student from Brooklyn, New York, therefore these issues are extremely important to me, my family and my community. I would like to bring up one particular case that relates to the African American/Minorities killings which is the case of Breonna Taylor. Breonna was an Emergency Medical Technician, a social worker for her community who was wrongfully killed by the police on May 13 2020. Breonna was inside her house while police entered unannounced looking for suspects accused of drug dealing (who were already in custody). Her boyfriend Kenneth Taylor thought they were intruders and fired a round at them, the police proceeded to fire 20 rounds at Breonna and her boyfriend, killing them. These are not the first deaths of African Americans due to police brutality and misconduct and it should honestly be the last. One way I feel like this could be changed is by adding a rule called the Mandatory Knock and Announce which means police must announce themselves before entering a citizen’s house, no matter the warrant and if not, the citizen has the right to sue or take action if it ends up that the citizen dies they will go to court and face Jail time. I believe this will not only benefit minorities but also everyone since there have been cases like this all over the country. I hope you find this to be in this country’s best interest. Sincerely, Jomar Madera Achievement First Apollo Middle School By: Akerya Wong, 8th Grade
They say I'm black and beautiful But I don't feel that way. They say my skin is my power But people like me get killed over it. I show love but I don't get love, And it seems to all be because of how I look. They look at me like I'm an alien, But I'm human too. Don’t you see me? By: Yamel Alomari, 8th Grade
I wake up with a skin tone I can’t Control Say it ain’t so. I love my color! In fact I'm proud of My color, but sometimes I feel like Another. Another black target as soon as I Walk out that door Have me thinking what the ones Before me was even fighting for. Martin Luther King speech, now that was impactful But see, iI thought he did it So we wouldn’t have to. Today I find myself at a protest Screaming out “who's next?’’ George Floyd “I can’t breathe’’ Trayvon martin “What are you Following me for?” Sandra bland “ What did I do wrong?” The list goes on and on. See, being black feels like a target now, Waiting to be oppressed with no justice One word "disgusting." A president associated with the “KKK’’ But still they voted for him. Laughing at our poverty “what do you Have to lose’’ was a quote that got Me! When I walk outside it's hard not to worry Will I return home Will I be so lucky. We begging for our rights and equality as humans Hoping these police don’t do us in. See this is what happens when you’re black in America No such thing as “ Home of the free” Just targets waiting to happen with Camera phones to see them. Someday I will tell my kid, still in “2020” We weren’t safe We were black Killed because of our race. By: Desiree Odigie, 8th Grade
This is America “the land of the free” but “no justice no peace." This is America “the land of the free” but can't leave your home to get skittles. This is America “the land of the free” but can't leave your home to go on a jog .This is America “the land of the free” but I CAN'T BREATHE! All lives don't matter in America because the the color of your skin is darker than another’s. Our beautiful shades of melanin scares them. Yes, We both have red blood flowing through our veins. Yes, we both get salty liquid come out our eyes when we’re sad But, we're still viewed as less. Black lives don't matter in America because we have to fight 10 times harder for something we should’ve already HAD! We riot because we're tired, we riot because we’re scared,the fear of not knowing if you're next. Then call us “thugs” and portray us as violent animals but throw tear gas at us and lace. Then turn their heads and can't see what a shame that THIS IS AMERICA! |
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