Order Audio How did Bethellen do? If you rate this transcript 3 or below, Bethellen L will not work on your future orders Speaker 1:Can I just get your age, your race. Speaker 2:Well, my name is **** ... Speaker 1:You don't have to say your name. It's all anonymous. Speaker 2:Well, yeah. I'm me and I'm a girlCodes (329-421) Age Gender How interface with police and I am 18 years old. I am straight and I am from the Northside of Minneapolis. Speaker 1:Your race? Speaker 2:I'm black. Codes (454-465) Race Speaker 3:I'm black. I'Codes (477-552) How interface with police Age Gender Race m 17. I'm a girl. I'm straight and I live over North as well. Speaker 1:Okay, cool. Could you guys share your overall experience with the police? Speaker 2:I've had some gCodes (648-990) Police-Community Relationship Failures of the police Strong Quotes Stories Negative Interaction Positive Interaction Times you interacted with the police ood experiences and then I've had some bad experiences. More bad than good. Me personally, even if you're a good cop I'm still on the edge when there's any cop around because bad cops have given all cops bad names, bad looks, just period. Whenever I see a police officer I go the opposite way because I don't want to get shot. Speaker 3:It's like you'reCodes (1001-1185) How interface with police Police-Community Relationship black so you kind of just have that mentality of oh, let me watch my surroundings, let me chill out, let me not say nothing. Let me keep them moving. It just depends. I feel like copsCodes (1185-1367) Stories Strong Quotes Times you interacted with the police Police-Community Relationship on the Northside, it just depends really. I've run into where you are, sometimes you're lucky enough to let something slide or you're good or it's a bigger problem. Speaker 2:I physically haveCodes (1378-1508) Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Failures of the police Stories Strong Quotes Times you interacted with the police Strong Quotes Stories Times you interacted with the police Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Failures of the police my own personal problem because my brother died almost four years ago and we still haven't got justice for him. The police act liCodes (1508-1806) Strong Quotes Stories Times you interacted with the police Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Failures of the police ke they don't even care. Still to this day they just brush it off. That's basically where my grudge is with the police. I feel like they don't even do their job. Social media, the Sandra [inaudible 02:12] stuff, all type of stuff, it all adds up and makes me not like them at all. Speaker 1:It's true. Can you share a few of your experiences with that? Maybe your stories if you have any? I know you just shared one which I'm grateful for that. You guys have any more. Speaker 3:I do. One time it was reaCodes (2012-2458) Police-Community Relationship Failures of the police Stories Times you interacted with the police Negative Interaction l late and we were out past curfew. We had to run from the cops and all of that. We got a away, we were cool, but we never know what could have happened if we got caught or if they really would have got us what could have happened. It was over here, over North. I don't remember where we were. That was a situation where it was like okay, we were lucky enough not to even have to get into it with them or have the altercation. Speaker 2:I've had two of them. Once I was coming baCodes (2491-3156) Police Trauma Police-Community Relationship Failures of the police Stories Strong Quotes Negative Interaction Bias/Predjudice ck from a party and everything was good. For once there was no fighting and no shooting after a party. It was so good. Then the police came and it was like me and seven other people standing on this gate that was in the alley. The police, we seen them riding through the alley where we were standing, but we thought they were just about to go past because we weren't doing nothing to anyone, no fights or nothing, Next thing you know they stop right at the beginning of the line of us. I was kind of in the middle. They stopped and next thing you know he started driving real fast. He rolled the window down and just maced all of us in a line. Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Speaker 2:Full force. Just for noCodes (3190-3542) Police Trauma Police-Community Relationship Stories Strong Quotes Failures of the police Negative Interaction Bias/Predjudice reason though, no reason. We were all just sitting there and they maced all of us in a whole line. Then that was the very first time I ever got maces. That experience for me was so crazy. I couldn't see, I didn't know where I was at. Everybody that was with me didn't know the same thing. They were experiencing the same thing. Then another experience Codes (3544-4393) Failures of the police Stories Strong Quotes Bias/Predjudice Negative Interaction Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma was I was pregnant with my son and I was at my brother's memorial block party. Some stuff happened, an altercation with a couple people. There was a couple fists thrown. Then the police came. Then when they came, because it was so many people, mind you it's a memorial, it was so many people and the police came and they just got to macing everybody. Then before they started macing, I was walking past with my two girl cousins on the side of me because I had just fell but they held me up because when all the commotion was going on I was trying to get out the way. They held me up. I was walking across the street and then we were going to the police to tell them what happened. Then they maced all three of us. That night I had to spend the night in the hospital because of that, because I swallowed mace and everything. Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Speaker 2:That just scars me. That's Codes (4427-4613) Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Failures of the police Police-Community Relationship Strong Quotes why I always try to keep my distance all the time, even if I'm not doing nothing wrong, I don't even smile in the police face at all. Too many bad experiences. Speaker 3:It's like after Codes (4613-4720) Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Failures of the police Police-Community Relationship Strong Quotes certain things happen you just get that mindset of they don't even deserve it. Speaker 2:Exactly. Speaker 3:They're protecting me, but [crosstalk 05:14]. Speaker 2:To serve and protect. Protect wCodes (4808-4869) Strong Quotes Police-Community Relationship hat? You ain't protecting us. Speaker 1:Why do you think theyCodes (4870-5099) Police-Community Relationship Strong Quotes behave that way? Why do you think they reacted that way to you? Speaker 2:Honestly I feel like when it's the heat of the moment anything could happen, but ... Speaker 3:It's their power though. Speaker 2:Exactly. Say for instance if I was a cop andCodes (5119-5773) Stories Negative Interaction Police-Community Relationship Bias/Predjudice I see a pregnant girl walking with two people on the side of her, like she's in pain or something like that, I'm not just about to instantly raise my mace or raise my gun or anything that I have. I'm not. My first concern is going to be what's wrong, what happened or something like that. That officer's first reaction was mace. We didn't even look like we was mad, charging at him or anything. It was like what you did was unnecessary. Like the cop when we were standing in the alley. That was unnecessary. Everything was going good until that happened. They just do unnecessary stuff because they have the power to, but ... Speaker 3:[inaudible 06:20] say so. Like it's okay. Speaker 2:They just don't even know if the commuCodes (5847-6202) Wishlist/dream resources Solutions nity come together we beat them. I try to tell people put your hands together. It ain't even black people though. Not even with black people, but white people too. If we all came together and really, really stood up basically, oh my God. The police, the government itself wouldn't have nothing on us. Nothing at all. Speaker 1:Could you share a few of your experiences? I know you share done. Speaker 3:Other experiences, I drive and one time I was chilling withCodes (6309-7223) Police-Community Relationship Negative Interaction Bias/Predjudice Stories Strong Quotes my friends at this park. They roll up. Yeah, it was kind of late, but not even. It was like 10:30, not even, but they just roll up, automatically come out. "What you all doing here? What's going on?" Trying to search your car, trying to search all of us. We're literally just sitting here at the park. What's the real problem? Then he was like, "Oh, it's getting pretty late. This is property. You shouldn't be here. I'm going to need you all to go." Nobody arguing, nobody trying to put up a fight saying, "Oh, we're going to stay here. It don't really matter what you saying," but not automatically trying to pull out a gun. Listen to me before something happens. We're not doing nothing so why you even got to think about touching your gun. Speaker 1:He drew his gun? Speaker 3:Yes, it's like we're just sitting here. Why do you even feel the need to touch your gun? Speaker 2:It's not even necessary. Speaker 3:You and us, obviously yeah, you think you got all the power. You've got the right say so to do whatever you want, but at the same time, whatever you don't need ... Speaker 2:Apparently he felt intimidated. Speaker 3:I don't really know. That's the thing, there was only four of us andCodes (7509-7970) Police-Community Relationship Failures of the police I don't really see why. It's just the little stuff, always, always the little stuff where they feel the need to pop off. I get some situations it's like yeah, the heat of a moment or even like you were saying with the memorial thing. When big stuff happens, I get it. They need to get us under control or they need to make the situation a lot less than what it is. Speaker 2:The way they go about it is terrible. Speaker 3:They could do it a lot differently. I feel like if they did ... Speaker 2:They train to. They don't use their training. I feel like the onlCodes (8072-8276) Solutions No clear code Strong Quotes y part of training that I see the police use is forceful. All their karate moves and all that type of stuff. Whooping sticks and mace and Tasers all that. Speaker 3:[inaudible 08:42]. Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying. Where is the good? Where is the good? Nowadays nothing about police that is getting recognized is good. Nothing at all. Speaker 3:You see all the bad stuff. It's like okay, as a cop oCodes (8473-8960) Strong Quotes Solutions r you being somebody in power, where's your heart at? Now what if this was your kid? What if this was your sister? Your mom type of a thing. It's just like I feel like when they have that type of power, that kind of takes away from their true emotions or just being a human in general. Like having a say or even feeling sincere for something that's going on. I think that power and that I guess type of overhead takes away from that. Speaker 1:What does good policing look like? Speaker 2:Good policing to me because my auntie used to be married to a cop, so I've seen a lot of his friends, well, this was in Chicago. Now he passed away because of a robbery and stuff that happened, yeah. He was trying to be the good cop, but in the situation Codes (9218-9305) Strong Quotes it just didn't go right at all. I've seen a couple good situations, like when my uncle's friends, when they used to come over they used to see bad stuff happening and they would do their job. They would do it and wouldn't blow it out of proportion. There's officers, I forgot when this was, but I remember this one time it was a huge brawl downtown. It was a huge brawl downtown. Speaker 1:In Minneapolis? Speaker 2:Yes, downtown Minneapolis. We were all down there, but I Codes (9692-10517) Strong Quotes Stories Positive Interaction Police-Community Relationship had just got down there so of course when I'm seeing all the commotion, if I see people running, I'm black. I see black people running I'm going to run too. I'm not even going to ask questions. I'm running with the crowd or whatever and the police, they all block the whole crowd in. Blocked us all in in a corner. Instead of them doing what we thought they were going to do like mace us or beat us up or all put us in handcuffs, they actually calmed us down and let us off after it was just a huge brawl. This group of people that you see running, usually the police instantly get to macing or Tasing or anything, but the way they handled it downtown Minneapolis, I think they did a good job. That's the only good thing that I can recognize about a Minneapolis cop. Speaker 3:I feel like a good cop has good intentions and iCodes (10517-10528) Strong Quotes s really coCodes (10528-10964) Police-Community Relationship Solutions Wishlist/dream resources Strong Quotes nnected to their community and really out here trying to keep kids and even adults on the right path, making sure everybody's good. You don't only see them when something is happening. They're around, but you're okay with that and you're comfortable with that because you know they do their job. They're here to protect you, have that relationship with them and you feel safe. Speaker 2:Right. Speaker 3:I feel like I've never really haCodes (10964-11119) Strong Quotes d that experience with any type of cop or any type of situation where cops have been around. Speaker 2:Right. I should be able to see a cop parked on the side of the streetCodes (11137-11447) Police-Community Relationship , walk up, "Hey, having a nice day today?" Dah, dah, dah. I feel like I do that nowadays they're going to, "Whoa, what you doing?" Instantly draw their gun because that's police nowadays. That's the first thing I come to it. Steer clear of police. Speaker 1:You guys said that you guys don't feel safe with the police in the community. Speaker 2:Not really. Speaker 1:Okay. I'm just making sure I'm not assuming when I ask the next question. What do you feel like your community needs to be safe? What does it need from itself? From the police? Speaker 2:I feel like from itself ... Speaker 3:We just need to do a better job of ... Speaker 2:A way bCodes (11787-12134) Solutions Wishlist/dream resources etter job. Speaker 3:... being unified and our communication and how we react to certain things that happen and each other. Just be a lot more lenient on the fact that we need to stick together. We are family. Speaker 2:At the end of the day even if we don't know each other. Speaker 3:Yeah, we just got to continue to stick together because with a lot that's going on, especially this summer, everything that's been going on, everybody dying, you see rest in peace or dying [inaudible 13:03]. It's just like it shouldn't have to be like that, but since it is nobody really is trying to take that initiative of being like,"Okay, we need to change something around." Speaker 2:Exactly. Speaker 3:I feel like since we're not like that it would be way harder for the police to be like that with us. Speaker 2:Especially during the summer. Stuff like this, activities like this like bCodes (12669-13516) Strong Quotes Wishlist/dream resources Solutions Police-Community Relationship lock parties and stuff like that, I understand the type of, I should say intentions that people have throwing stuff like this, you know? I feel like it only draws attention to not even us teenagers. It doesn't draw attention to us. That's how I feel because some of the people I hang around, I know for a fact that if this place had something that's more like, that draws more attention to it, that a teenager is going to want to be a part of, I feel like it needs to be more community things that's going to draw us teenagers closer. I feel like most teenagers don't go to stuff like this because of the amount of police that are going to be here. That's always, anybody who I ever heard, "I'm not going. There's too many police. I'm not going. There's too many police." Speaker 3:When you come too it's either little kids or adults with their kids, so you kind of just like okay. Speaker 2:Right. Speaker 3:I shouldn't even go. Just really just how stuff get around because Codes (13645-14048) Solutions Wishlist/dream resources to be honest, before yesterday or the day before I didn't even know there was going to be a celebration for National [crosstalk 14:36]. Speaker 2:Me neither. Speaker 3:That's part of the reason and part of the problem. We don't really get stuff out to our people to say come through. Let's have a good time. Let's be safe. Speaker 1:What do you feel like? What do you think about and what do you feel physically in your body when you see a police officer? Speaker 2:Honestly, I feel like my body go numb because even if I'm not doing nothing wrong Codes (14193-15023) Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma I could see a police officer drive passed and I would be like, the tension focused on every single move that the police officer is going to make and what I'm going to make. Because I feel like if I make the wrong move that anything can happen. Like I said before, I have a son so I try to think, not to put myself in those types of situations with the police because I feel like whenever I see a police officer I feel like I've got to be on my best behavior. Because if anything looking fishy or wrong or even if they coming up to me, a police officer could be coming up to me with something not so, not on the bad side, but I still be nervous. Like oh snap. I feel like something is going to go wrong. I shouldn't have to feel like that at all. Speaker 3:Also I feel like that is based off of your surroundings and who you're with and how you'vCodes (15039-15168) Strong Quotes Police-Community Relationship e grown up in the community with the police. I guess it really just depends for me, but most of the time it's like you see the police, there's just tension. You see the police, you mad. You like, "Okay, what's going to happen next? What I neCodes (15280-15480) Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma Strong Quotes ed to do?" Looking at yourself like, "Do I look good? Am I fine? Are they really going to be on that with me next?" Speaker 2:Just the way I look, are they going to come up to me and be like, "Well, probable cauCodes (15491-15929) Strong Quotes Police-Community Relationship Police Trauma se. Now we've got to check you or do something to you." No, the police officers will be coming up with weirdest reasons in the world to even mess with you. You be like okay, well I felt like I wasn't doing anything. Then as soon as you say that you're resisting. What? Okay. That's all when ever I see a police officer I ten two. Straight to attention. Speaker 1:Have you guys ever been in suburban neighborhoods at all? Speaker 3:Mm-hmm (affirmative). Speaker 2:Mm-hmm (affirmative). Speaker 1:Have you guys ever lived in them? Speaker 3:I mean ... Speaker 2:When I lived in Atlanta, but I was way younger. Speaker 3:The most suburban I lived in was Brooklyn Center, Robinsville. Speaker 1:How do you guys compare the police force and those suburban neighborhoods to the ones in Minneapolis? What's different about the two? Speaker 3:Where I was living, again, I feel like it depend son the person because I lived in an apartmenCodes (16421-17190) When do you call the police? Failures of the police Bias/Predjudice Police-Community Relationship t in Robinsville, but even if something pop off it took them forever to get there when the police station were literally two blocks away from where I stay. Okay, but most of us in this apartment building are black, people of color. They're not going to come for us but the white lady a couple blocks down called, everything, fire trucks, five police cars. You've got an ambulance. They've got everybody, the news people. It's just like I feel like they know what's going on and they still have that right to say, "Oh, there's a call on the Northside. I'll be there in a half an hour. Oh, there's a call in New Dinah. I'm down the street." It just depends on where you are. Speaker 2:Right. That's exactly how I feel. She just basically said what I was going to say just in different words. Speaker 1:Okay. Why do you think that is? Why do you think those difference are there? Speaker 2:I think based on the community, the people in it. I think that's the main thing. Not even to keep bringing it back to a race thing, but that's what it seems like completely. It seems like a race thing. Bringing up, not to keep bringing up Cassandra, Sandra situation, but Codes (17582-17798) No clear code Bias/Predjudice Strong Quotes when the white man went in there and killed all them people, they bought this man lunch. They bought this man lunch. Sandra asked to put her cigarette out because she didn't put her cigarette out. Mind you she could have the cigarette in her car if she wanted to. You ask to put a cigarette out and now she's being threatened. Now you threaten to light her up and all type of stuff. How they handled that was so, it points definitely to race. Everything points to race because it's not fair. It's not fair at all. I don't know. I don't care what nobody says. It's not fair at all. Speaker 1:All right. Thank you, guys. Speaker 3:Thank you. Speaker 2:You're welcome. Speaker 3:All right. Speaker 3:Thank you. Speaker 1:That was wonderful. How did Bethellen do? If you rate this transcript 3 or below, Bethellen L will not work on your future orders