International Day Against Police Brutality

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group, and today’s awareness day is meant to hopefully build bridges between the police and the people they are sworn to protect.

Locally, Wicomico County’s Sheriff Department’s policy reads in part quote: “Although the policy and procedures manuals cannot cover every aspect of law enforcement work or provide guidance in handling every possible situation, members are encouraged to use their own experience, training, and good judgment to decide the best and safest way of handling any problems…”

Wicomico County NAACP President Monica Brooks says we still have a long way to go, and days like these are times to take action. “This is an opportune opportunity to find ways to look at themselves, look at their stats, see what’s going on. What kind of records do our officers have? How many incidents do they have of complaints of violence? What are we doing to resolve that?”

The Wicomico County NAACP urges anyone who has been a victim of police brutality to reach out to them on Facebook. The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department say if you witness anything of concern, don’t hesitate to call 410-548-4891.