In Episode 23 of Middle of the Fence, Andre breaks down a tough but necessary conversation: police brutality, systemic bias, and how policing looks drastically different on the “Tough Terrain” vs. “Affluent Acres” sides of the fence. Drawing from lived experience, academic research, traffic-stop data, and a 2006 FBI report on white supremacist infiltration in law enforcement, this episode examines how communities across America experience the police in two completely different realities.
Andre explores:
• Over-policing in urban communities and the “TSA treatment” many people of color face daily
• Generational trauma and its long-term effects on trust in law enforcement
• Data from Stanford University (100M+ traffic stops) showing disproportionate stops of Black drivers
• Why some officers of color still enforce harmful systemic biases
• Affluent communities & policing as protection — and how privilege shapes perception
• The historical roots of American policing, beginning with slave patrols
• The 2006 FBI intelligence report detailing white supremacist infiltration concerns
• What it means to live in the middle and see both sides up close
🔗 FBI 2006 Report
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/24350-fbi-warned-white-supremacists-law-enforcement-15-years-ago-fbi-counterterrorism
🎧 Whether you've lived these realities or are hearing them in-depth for the first time, this episode pushes us to reflect on empathy, accountability, and the future of public safety.
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