Letter to Police

I am writing as a concerned citizen of ______, to ask you to stand up and publicly support #BlackLivesMatter & the movement for police accountability.

Protecting the public's safety is a difficult, sometimes dangerous responsibility, which sometimes requires making difficult decisions on a moment's notice. As evidenced by the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and too many other black Americans, these decisions can have deadly consequences for citizens. They must also have consequences for police officers.

Police officers do not merely enforce the law on the community; they are part of the community. Like every other member of the community, they must be held accountable. No one is above the law.

Without accountability, there can be no trust. If bad agents aren't rooted out, how can ordinary citizens trust the officers they meet? And when citizens can't trust the police, everybody's lives become more dangerous. It is imperative that police officers stand in solidarity with their communities.

To be silent in the face of injustice is to support injustice. I ask that you not be silent.