Camden, New Jersey has become the liberal media's default example when pushing the narrative of defunding the police en masse, regardless of their safety and that of the counties and cities where they keep law and order.
The Hispanic media immediately followed suit, delivering a number of reports to showcase the successful morphing of the Camden police department, where officers are now “tutors” (as opposed to "warriors"). But at Telemundo's morning kaffeeklatsch, Un Nuevo Día, a panel of hosts came out against dismantling police departments --- and in favor of other measures like retraining the police to better work together with the communities they serve. Watch for yourself:
FREDERICH OLDENBURG: It seems to me that word dismantle is sometimes a bit drastic. I also believe that we must understand that we need to have training and that the funds should not be withdrawn because the police need to be trained. Now, whoever is outside the scope of the law, should be obviously removed from a police force if they are using excessive force. Because not all detentions on the street are made equal, because you can’t proceed the same way in every case. This doesn’t mean that the police will be abolished, or that it will be completely eliminated from the cities, because then there would be a void, and that void cannot exist. There's got to be order.
It would appear that the looser dynamic that occurs in the more informal talk-show setting gave the hosts at Un Nuevo Día room to reason, as opposed to strictly following the liberal talking points of fellow reporters in Spanish-language media and elsewhere.
Press "expand" to read the complete transcript of the report mentioned above:
Telemundo´s Un Nuevo Día
June 10, 2020RASHEL DIAZ: Friends, we continue, as do the protests in the country and not only in the country, but also around the world, seeking justice as you know, for George Floyd and the victims of so-called police brutality. Note that although some (protests) have been peaceful, others have gotten out of hand as we have seen in the news these days. The debate on what police reform in the United States should look like continues.
ADAMARI LOPEZ: Well, Nicole just said it in the news, some activists are looking to have funds withdrawn and in other cases suggest dismantling the police department. But the truth is that all of that makes you keep your eyes on the police. It now turns out that statistics indicate that African-Americans are the most affected in police brutality cases, as also are Latinos.
FREDERICH OLDENBURG: But, that's made us to suddenly turn around, to take a look at Camden's Hispanic community. That's very important because it's been an example over the last few days. This small city in New Jersey rebuilt its police from scratch with great results. For several years, crime in the city was 18 times higher than the national number. Complaints of excessive force by the police surpassed any measure.
DIAZ: That led them to dissolve, in 2013, the police department of the city of Camden, with a population of 80,000, and gave way to a new approach on how to generate better public safety. First, some of the resources were used to have more police on the streets, and have more direct contact with the community. And secondly, the strategy was changed, teaching the cops not to rush situations, to analyze to make better decisions, which contrasts with what obviously happened in the case of George Floyd and many more, over the years, who ended up, as we know, unconscious after a struggle of almost nine minutes with the police.
Now, for you to understand the work of this city, since we are commenting that this is an initiative that could be implemented since it worked well, in the city of Camden, it came to cut the number of violent crimes in half, and increase the resolution of crimes. Also, they went from having 65 complaints for excessive use of force in 2012- the highest number in New Jersey- to just three in 2019. A big difference. It’s great that they chose to build a collective community culture, and on top of that, changed the identity of the agent, from a warrior (cop), as they were called, to a tutor.
STEPHANIE HIMONIDIS: Now this is very hard to implement my dear Rashel, because they're looking for three basic things. Imagine when the cop feels they’re in danger. They say that they have to use communication, the other thing is patience and a minimal use of force, which is apparently the logical thing, that is, the common-sense thing, but it must be difficult for all policemen.
LOPEZ: Of course, especially when at the police academy, as another of the defendants was saying, a police officer was saying, that's what they were taught. That they taught them how to overpower subjects when arresting them. Yes, you could see that there was dialogue, but that in the end what they taught them is to render them inactive
(Crosstalk)
OLDENBURG: It seems to me that word dismantle is sometimes a bit drastic. I also believe that we must understand that we need to have training and that the funds should not be withdrawn because the police need to be trained. Now, whoever is outside the scope of the law, should be obviously removed from a police force if they are using excessive force. Because not all detentions on the street are made equal, because you can’t proceed the same way in every case. This doesn’t mean that the police will be abolished, or that it will be completely eliminated from the cities, because then there would be a void, and that void cannot exist. There's got to be order.
(Crosstalk)
RIGHT: And we’ve always said that there are good cops, that is, not everyone behaves the same way.
HIMONIDIS: I think there must be a number of things, but first and foremost, a filter from the beginning, when they are being formed.
DIAZ: The only way to get to that filter, to do the right thing, is through the training, I totally agree with you,
(Crosstalk)
DIAZ: They have to readjust that kind of procedure because it's also true. Yes, this is a case, but there are also other cases where there is abuse, and criminals who do have guns, who put their lives in danger. I mean, you have to have a balance to train them so that they are ready for situations, to differentiate.
