By Aracely Chavez
Pacoima, CA

Because of the violent, often fatal, acts police have committed toward people of color—such as the killings of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Eric Garner and Michael Brown—some Americans currently have a negative perception of police. But recent interviews with people in the John Street neighborhood—a historically low-income neighborhood of Princeton—suggest that this is not the case here.

“I think they treat us better” because now “they even greet [us],” said 40-year-old Juan Orellana. Similarly, 35-year-old Consuelo Retanalo said that police help a lot and “do a good job.” According to local resident Joanne Rice Parker, “I respect the police…They look out for us.” Many of the sources, such as 44-year-old Oliverio Sanchez, had never had an interaction with police, but made sure to clarify that “not all” police officers are racist and sometimes need to use force on those that resist them. “To tell you the truth, they’re awesome…They don’t bother me,” said Winston McFarlane. Continue reading →

By Maria Gonzalez
Mattawa, WA

In Princeton, N.J., the conversation on police brutality falls along the same racial divides as the national one: White residents have more positive views of police, while for the most part, black residents say they have been unfairly targeted.

The uptick of attention to police brutality around the country concerns Princeton residents. In recent interviews, some said they’ve never had a run-in with police, while others claimed that cops are surveilling neighborhoods with more diverse populations. Continue reading →