With great power comes great responsibility.
Park Police spokesmen are complaining that protests against brutality are so widespread that they can't be expected to respond both in person and to formal investigations into misuse of force. Park Police spokesmen also claim they've lost the recordings of their communications prior to their assault on peaceful protesters, but refuse to provide details. Police justifications for apparent brutality in Lafayette Square and elsewhere also appear to ignore evidence from video and witness testimony. If they want the public to believe that use of force was justified, and that the destruction of evidence was unintentional, they should take more care to follow their own rules and avoid injuring bystanders.
Although some insist the problems in policing are due to a few bad actors, they fail to recognize those bad actors are widespread and are protected by the same mechanisms that supposedly protect the good guys. The system is rigged in such a way that distinguishing good cops from bad ones is very difficult. Innocent people die as a result.
Massive overhaul is required. Those who want to maintain or improve police reputations should work to improve accountability, transparency, and benefits to communities of color. Good cops *must* call for accountability and *must* recognize bad actors within their midst. The alternative is further erosion in the public's trust in the police and in protections for those officers who take seriously their oath to "serve and protect."