When asked, last month, how police today compare to 1960s forces, Bobby Rush response was firm: they’re “more vicious now.” More menacing, he stressed, because of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
What happened last Saturday night is not unusual in Tulsa, but that does not mean that it is something to accept and embrace. Instead of more upstream solutions like the Rapid Response Team being there to serve as a bridge to services, the police, an entity downstream of many systemic oppressions and failures, was present and did what they could to help in the moment, while ultimately arresting her later.
