On May 28, 2020, George Floyd lost his life, the result of a police officer’s brutality. This was a turning point for the police force across our nation. Events such as the COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have affected the public’s perception of our men and women in blue.

“Unfortunately there are some people who have felt that (police officers are racist) for a long  time, but there are far more that don’t see us in that light and respect us and do want to help us out,” said Sergeant Estevez, LAPD officer. 

While some people view police officers as racist, others appreciate their protection. Very few officers go into the force with bad intentions or values. While the more negative actions of officers tend to be posted on social media, we shouldn’t belittle those whose daily heroism occurs when few are watching or filming.

“If I’m being honest about it, there are some officers that are racist. I couldn’t say with 100% certainty that there is not a single racist LAPD (officer). I think a lot of the public is talking about the fact that all cops are racist, and that’s not realistic either. The vast majority of people come to work with good intentions,” said LAPD Lieutenant White. 

The men and women of the LAPD risk their lives daily, not only in unpredictable situations but also through their accidental exposure to COVID-19 through routine interactions at traffic accidents, domestic disputes, and noise complaints, to more recent management of large group protests. In each situation, officers of the department make sure that citizens are well treated and cared for. 

“In caring for society as a whole but the city that employs us is the one that we are primarily responsible for… we still want to make sure that those who you are fortunate enough to serve and protect that we’re taking care of them. And that said you hope within the profession that all our neighboring agencies are sort of taking that same approach as well so we are all offering the best service that we can throughout the city, county, the state, and ultimately the United States of America,” said Sergeant Estevez, LAPD office

With the fluctuating number of COVID-19 cases, the LAPD needs to be careful more than ever. With new people getting infected every day the LAPD has to have a response for when they get a call from a person with COVID-19 they still have to give the people proper medical attention.

“But there are some situations and scenarios where we do have to arrest people who are positive for COVID-19, and we still have to handcuff them. We still have to put them in our cars and take them to our jails. In those situations, we do have doctors (and) contracts with hospitals, so we can make sure those individuals get treated and housed appropriately so (they don’t) infect others,” said Sergeant Estevez. 

The LAPD has made some decisions that have raised legitimate concerns in the community. But that should not stop them from learning from their mistakes in an effort to make Los Angeles safe. The police department continues to adapt in an effort to keep all of its residents safe. 

“We need better listening ears and a heart open to understanding that you can have really good intentions but sometimes have bad outcomes. And our job is a way to make sure that when we go out we intend to make the community safer,” said Lieutenant White.