For years, activists and politicians have repeated the same refrain: the Black community is “overpoliced.” It’s a phrase that sounds powerful on television, but it doesn’t match the lived reality on our streets. The truth is, Black neighborhoods are not overpoliced — they are underprotected. What we need is not less policing, but better policing.
The Myth of Overpolicing
When crime statistics show high arrest rates in Black communities, critics point to “overpolicing.” But arrests are not happening in a vacuum. They reflect real crimes — shootings, robberies, assaults — that residents live with every day. If you ask the mother who lost her son to gun violence, or the store owner who closes early out of fear, they will tell you the same thing: the problem isn’t too much police presence, it’s that police often show up too late or don’t solve the crimes that matter most.
The Slogan Trap: Defund the Police
The Black community has been tricked into empty slogans like “Defund the Police.” The fact of the matter is, Black cities with Black mayors have run police departments understaffed for years, while inflating overtime budgets to cover gaps in staffing. The result is predictable: exhausted officers, burned-out departments, and neighborhoods left vulnerable. High crime and violence don’t come from “too much policing” — they come from poor leadership and broken priorities.
What’s Missing: Good Policing
Good policing means more than squad cars circling the block. It means officers who:
- Build trust with residents instead of treating everyone as a suspect.
- Target violent offenders rather than harassing working people for minor infractions.
- Respond quickly and effectively when crime occurs, instead of ignoring calls.
- Work with communities to prevent crime, not just react to it.
Who Pays the Price for Bad Policing
When policing is either absent or abusive, the community suffers twice: once from the criminals, and again from the lack of justice. Families live in fear, businesses relocate, and young people grow up believing the law has nothing to offer them but punishment. That is not sovereignty — that is abandonment.
A Balanced Vision for Safety
The Black community deserves the same thing every other community expects: police who do their jobs with fairness and professionalism. Not harassment. Not neglect. Not excuses. Just good policing that protects lives, solves crimes, and partners with the people they serve.
The Demand for Accountability
We must stop allowing national politicians to use us as talking points while our local leaders avoid accountability. Every police chief, mayor, and district attorney in Black cities should be able to answer one simple question: Are families safer today than they were last year? If not, they are failing at their most basic responsibility.
Rising With Safety
Safety is not a luxury. It is the foundation of progress. Without it, education fails, businesses collapse, and families break down. Black America does not need fewer police — it needs better police, accountable police, community-driven police. Because until safety is secured, nothing else can rise.
