Policing and public health is a global issue. Our perspectives on this matter are colored by both our individual and shared experiences (current and historical). But why is it a public health issue? Because for many people of color, it means exposure unnecessary aggression and violence that have both physical and psychological affects. Encounters with police are a matter of life or death which is an underlying cause of stress for many.
For people of color, policing means stress of knowing what could happen, what has happened to those you know and those you don’t means walking on eggshells daily. The question of whether or not one will make it home is maddening. You can be sleeping in your own home and still not be safe.
Making matters worse is fact that there is never any real resolve after most incidents of police violence. According to data from Mapping Police Violence website, almost 99% of murders by “police between 2013 and 2020 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime”.
In Episode 9 of True Health Live, Deidre and Anushka share personal stories of stressful experiences with policing and public health. Stories shared are deeply personal and emotionally charged. From parents, to spouses, and children – born and unborn – we cover what was once held close to the chest.
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