Police brutality is wrong. There is no way to justify it. In no circumstance should it be okay to physically harm, abuse, and kill a non-combative subject. However, why are people hurting others physically and emotionally when there is already so much pain in our country? Our country already has intense wounds with COVID-19 paralyzing our economy and destroying the livelihood of many citizens. Continued violent protests only deepen those wounds.

Ridding police precincts of dirty cops is an arduous, time-consuming and frustrating process. People are infuriated: there is not enough transparency, and repercussions for mistakes are either non-existent or too soft.

It is time for reform to solve people’s frustrations. Records of misconduct by officers are often hidden away, seldom seen by the public. These records should become readily available and never hidden. Next, departments must set strict guidelines for punishing police misconduct. There should not be wishy-washy parameters for police wrongdoing.

Now, solve these problems through peaceful means. Lobby your local legislator and bring attention to your issue. Violence is never a viable option as innocent bystanders and institutions are injured for no reason. Living during this pandemic is already hard; living while there are violent protests makes it ten times harder.

This letter is written by Wesley Peng, a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona.

This letter to the editor has been lightly edited for style and clarity.