TREVOR NOAH: We all know that it's hard out there for a pimp. But what most people don't know is that it's even harder out there for a cop. You have to sympathize with the police. They have a dangerous job and it's a noble pursuit to put your life on the line for your fellow citizens. But recently, the trust between police and citizens has begun to fray.
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But according to some, the Ferguson effect is a real issue. People claim that the police are unable to do their jobs because they're afraid of being caught doing their jobs badly. And this is a big problem, unless you deal in facts, in which case, it's not actually a problem. Because, you see, a recent study says it's too soon to blame any crime increase on the Ferguson effect, especially since crime has been trending downward for more than twenty years. But these are just facts. They don't count. It doesn't matter what the facts are. The only thing that matters is how the police feel.
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Now I know there are real dangers that police face every single day, facing death or serious injury, or being assigned to the Eagles game. I understand these things. But it seems like being videotaped while doing your job shouldn't be the thing that makes you question whether or not you should do your job. And it seems that's what the Ferguson effect is. Officers feeling like they are being blamed for what other officers are doing.
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The majority of police are really good people. It's like Bad Santa. Yes, he was a terrible Santa. But that doesn't mean everyone stopped trusting all Santas. Even though we should, because why would you want kids sitting on your lap, you creepy bastards? But the police are just trying to make a basic point. People are treating them unfairly, just because of who they are and how they look. People following them around with cameras, watching everything they do, suspicious that they're always about to break the law. Leaving police afraid to even get out of their cars for fear that someone might whip out a phone and brutally film them. Who can imagine how that must feel? And if you listen carefully, all the police are saying is “phones down, don't shoot.”
