DISCRETION is the biggest part of police racism & classism

name of woman using “puppy-as-a-weapon” during road rage unknown : but probably KAREN...

If a father beats the heck out of his spouse or children, the police are supposed to ‘pursue charges’, to use that quaint phrase, even if the victims don’t want to.

They certainly tend to ‘pursue charges’ if the victim is dead. Most of the time.

But if four women in two cars go at it with threats and fists and shaken puppies on a north end Dartmouth street, will police ‘pursue charges’ even if the victims won’t ?

Depends ; if they are white, middle class, middle aged : probably not.

But if they are young, poor and minority ; maybe they will.

Will prosecutors deal harshly or gently ?

In both cases, police and crown attorneys have wide latitude - the technical word is “discretion’ -  as to if and how they proceed.

This - rather than the occasional kneeling on neck until dead - is how systemic racism and classism feels daily to most  people who are poor or minority or both.

Subtle but just as deadening - and much much more pervasive....