A Missouri police chief issued a stern reminder on Wednesday about the Ku Klux Klan’s long history with law enforcement in the United States.
Col. K.L. Williams, the black chief of police in Kinloch, Missouri, made his remarks during a CNN town hall meeting which focused on race and policing in America. He told the panel that as a kid, so many guns were pointed at his head that he is surprised he is still alive today:
I know I could never change the condition from the outside. I had to go for the inside. If you think that racism and white supremacy is not involved in police departments, you better check yourself. Because the KKK has been involved with law enforcement from when it just about started.
The historic involvement of the KKK with law enforcement in the United States is well documented. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Klan often functioned as an underground arm of enforcement for governments led by whites and acted secretly to undermine the civil rights of not only blacks, but of Jews, immigrants, and other groups as well.
Watch video Williams’ comments here:
“The KKK has been involved in law enforcement from when it started” says Kinloch, Missouri police chief #CNNTownHall https://t.co/EItKDNatxn
— CNN (@CNN) July 14, 2016
Featured image via video screen capture
