If you're under 35, you've probably never had a positive interaction with a police officer. Student protests have exacerbated the rift.
Cell phone or bike stolen? They will likely tell you it's not even worth filing a report.
Drugs? Just an excuse to harass you.
Something more important like rape? Cops might victimize you instead of helping.
We used to see cops mostly Friday and Saturday nights. Now we're more likely to think of them pepper-spraying protesters or kicking someone already down.
Unless they're hitting their batons on their shields. "Move, Move, Moove, Mooo". That's the sound of cattle, not humans. They're even branded with numbers, though sometimes they even refuse to show those.
Anonymity is a breeding ground for violence. Like a terrifying re-enactment of the Stanford Prison Experiment, we are slowly descending in a hellish nightmare. Others have already predicted at least a death in these protests. They are optimistic.
The militarization of police and use of non-lethal equipment actually exacerbates the problem. Tasers, sound / flash grenades. The chemicals that are used would be illegal in a war. All of these can be lethal.
This weaponry has become the norm without any real oversight. Our political powers have not put in place the institutional controls necessary to control police forces. Police are policing themselves. Can anyone be surprised that it's not working?
These protests have exacerbated the rift between police and youth. To repair it, we'll need to start by adding police oversight. Then, we need police to actually be helpful when youth are victims of crime.
Failing to do so means that the next spiral of violence will see a lot more bloodshed.