Both the mayor and the #police are here for the people, safeguarding them and their rights and maintaining peace. Seeing the representatives of the law failing to maintain it is appalling and sad.

The constitution of our nation gives us the right to peaceably assemble, as outlined in the First Amendment. All citizens have the same rights as one another, and no one is above the law. This includes police officers. They are responsible for upholding the law, and they are not allowed to function like renegades.

Matthew Cartier was arrested in August of 2020 for blocking traffic while participating in a protest against racial injustice. Whether or not he should have been arrested is not the only thing in question, because many people believe that the method used by police was unethical. Plain-clothes officers jumped out of an unmarked van with weapons drawn, forced him into the vehicle, and drove off with him. This looked exactly like he was being abducted by criminals. It was terrifying for him and also for onlookers; the video is difficult to watch.

The incident cast a new light on loopholes in the system and caused major second-guessing for the city’s then-Mayor, Bill Peduto. He knew it was important to reexamine the way our police department is run, and he brought about some much-needed reforms that increased accountability and made our city a better place to live. Police are supposed to keep us safe, but their underhanded tactics did not make most of us feel adequately protected. It just made people even more apprehensive and increased the tension between officers and the public.

In order to be effective, the must be applied evenly to all circumstances. Law enforcement officers are meant to uphold the same laws for everyone, and this is impossible to ensure without adequate oversight. Police are not supposed to pop up out of nowhere, with no uniforms, and kidnap/arrest protesters. They should have been in uniform, with a regular police van, and arresting people only with purpose and prior notice (when justified). It was a non-violent protest, and the police have a responsibility to protect the #FirstAmendment.

So far, it appears that Mayor Ed Gainey is following the precedent set by Peduto. Gainey has been working to develop a "Plan for Peace" that will address the need for accountability from police. Those who are in power need to protect the public interests, and they need to be a voice for the people they are elected to represent. A cohesive, comprehensive reform of the police department will make our city safer and make great strides towards repairing the relationship between citizens and law enforcement.