The University of Illinois, a reflection of the United States itself, is made up of a diverse population with varying races, religious affiliations and sexes that make us different.

Within these communities, we see varying rates of crime, but it’s no surprise to anyone in the United States that relations between police forces and regular citizens have been volatile at worst, moderate at best.

There may be no quick way to amend the relationship between police and the public, but to ensure the safety of all students, both at the University and other communities in the country, we need to start coming up with solutions now to foster peace and civility. Every citizen, no matter their background, race or gender, should be afforded the basic right to life, and safety is an extension of that.

While there are a plethora of factors that feed into who gets hired as parts of the police force, diversity should start being held to a higher level of importance. If we see more diversity within the police force, we will hopefully see more equal treatment under the law and avoid tragic situations caused by police brutality.