The behavior of white police officers in being excessively aggressive toward Black people whom they are confronting can be attributed to several causes combined. First, almost all white people have some degree of lingering racism or mistrust, no matter how free of racism they purport to be. That lack of interaction often causes those police persons to misinterpret the Black people they are confronting. Second, they hear so much about the violence in the Black community that they are likely to assume that the Black subject may easily become violent. That adds to the next factor.

Third, most police officers are not screened for personality attributes which lead the officers to see their roles as guardians and protectors of people and public safety. A good police officer must be a person who emphasizes order and safety far above the exercise of force and authority. He or she must also be a person who can quickly screen the information that he or she sees and hears and choose appropriate action with the least necessary use of force. That means that the officer must be acutely alert. He or she must not be so full of fear that he or she acts irrationally or impulsively. Simply put, any officer who genuinely fears for himself or herself a THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, TO PUBLIC ORDER, AND TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. That CANNOT be over-emphasized!!!

In regards to needed personality attributes, candidates for the post of police officer must be screened to minimize authoritarian tendencies. Far too many police persons like to order people around and to threaten people they do not like or trust. Such authoritarian behavior provokes anger and resentment among people they confront, and is often likely to escalate the situation unnecessarily.

Finally the culture and leadership of each police agency must be screened to ensure that norms and behaviors which promote or accept irrational fear, authoritarianism, violence, bias, or racism. Creation of the needed culture is the real task ahead of us if our policemen and women are to act consistently as guardians of the public, the public order, and public safety.