3. The Ku Klux Klan and Law Enforcement Overlap
During Reconstruction and well into the 20th century, there were documented cases of law enforcement officers who were also members of the Ku Klux Klan. This overlap enabled the reinforcement of racial hierarchies and the use of policing as a tool for racial terror and intimidation. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, this connection fostered a climate where violence against Black communities was often sanctioned, or even perpetrated, by police themselves.
