Yes indeed! Especially when we think about the sort of people who are inclined to become cops. Some go in with good intentions, wanting to help people, but all too many have authoritarian streaks a mile wide, some as you know are even card carrying members of white supremacist groups. People talk about a few bad apples but they leave out the rest of the saying: they spoil the whole barrel. And it's a big bunch of bad apples in there to start with, not just a few.

As an Autistic person, I've had a few police encounters also. Being white, I lived to tell about them. Even so, the cops bungled it up because like you say, they're not mental health professionals.

What are they? Soldiers. And who are they fighting? US citizens! Black people primarily, also Brown folks, and then on to the rest of us who see thru the con The more white people get on board to see this, the sooner we can make things right.

Great reply you wrote here. How about re-posting it as an article on its own? (Just to be fair -- I'm thinking of re-posting my first comment here as an article on its own, just got to figure out how to make sure I'm not tone policing.)

Thanks for all you do!