Montclair, New Jersey- 11/12/2018 Junior theater major at Montclair State University Mechi Brown reflects on the encounters he has had with Montclair State Police. Photo by Tiffany Baskerville
Piscataway New Jersey Police Detective Calvin Laughlin and Junior theater major, Mechi Brown of Montclair State University, discuss their ongoing troubling experiences faced with dealing with police and the public.
Brown expressing the lack of police report to the public discussed the challenge of public trust in the criminal justice system. Brown, who had witnessed campus police using excessive force, made it known he is always on guard when it comes to police officers.
“I’m always on guard with police on campus, but when I attend events that allow information to follow and students to interact with police officers, I become more optimistic about our campus police.” Said Brown. “Tension among police and our generation of youth are at an all-time high, thus having access to the Montclair State Police department is very important, they just have to establish a better relationship with us.”
Brown still carries a mistrust for Montclair State Police and the institution of law enforcement. He referred to his distrust as an outcome of the many microaggressions African American people have faced with law enforcement.
