UCLA staffer criticizes police after NYC subway shooting
Director of Race and Equity Johnathan Perkins tweeted on Apr. 12 that allocating more money for the police results in more violence.
Johnathan Perkins, who referred to himself as an abolitionist, accused those who do not understand some of his views of engaging in 'white supremacy.'
A University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) staff member posted anti-police messages online hours after at least 23 people were injured during a shooting on the New York City subway.
Director of Race and Equity Johnathan Perkins tweeted on Apr. 12 that allocating more money for the police results in more violence.
”Funding police MORE only leads to more violence. This isn’t a debate. They continue to terrorize us. Defund them NOW -- enough!!,” he tweeted.
Funding police MORE only leads to more violence. This isn’t a debate. They continue to terrorize us. Defund them NOW — enough‼️
— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Perkins also took to castigate NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) for his “groundbreaking ‘plan’ to curb NYC gun violence- by dumping even more money into his former-colleagues police department.”
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According to Perkins, Adams’ actions failed to “curb NYC’s gun violence.”
Someone just shot TEN (10) people while riding the New York City subway. That violent criminal is still at-large.
Predictably, Mayor Eric Adam’s groundbreaking “plan” to curb NYC’s gun violence—by dumping even more money into his former-colleagues police department—is failing.— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
He further criticized Adams’ performance, knocking his “promise to keep NYC safe” by adding “1,000 police officers to the subway patrol.” According to Perkins, adding more police to patrol the subways failed to stop the shooting because “stopping violence isn’t their job.”
”Their job is to collect evidence & testify for the DA. Police do not keep us safe,” he asserted.
As part of Mayor Eric Adams promise to keep NYC safe, he added 1,000 police officers to subway patrol.
These cops did not stop today’s horrific tragedy—because stopping violence isn’t their job.
Their job is to collect evidence & testify for the DA. Police do not keep us safe.— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Perkins furthered his anti-police tirade by sharing an excerpt from The New York Times regarding the aftermath of the shooting. The except reported that a uniformed police officer approached civilians on the subway, asking them to call 911 because his radio had failed.
Perkins highlighted the article, tweeting out “POLICE DO. NOT. KEEP YOU SAFE.”
POLICE DO. NOT. KEEP YOU SAFE. https://t.co/uFKcCbxMTZ
— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
He further capitalized on the Times report, retelling the alleged uniform failure to support his claim that “police DO NOT keep us safe.” This tweet was sent out before the shooter was apprehended, with Perkins reminding readers that “[t]he shooter is still at-large.”
One of the 1st NYPD cops on the scene of today’s mass subway shooting told bystanders to call 911 because his radio wasn’t working.
Police DO NOT keep us safe. Even this horrific emergency situation in NYC wasn’t made better by a police presence. The shooter is still at-large..— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Perkins also suggested that the shooter is a product of public service failure. He engaged with another user who suggested that mental illness always plays a role in mass shootings, countering that the remark is “not necessarily” always true.
To prove his point, Perkins argued that “[w]hite people, for example, murder Black people in droves and do not suffer from mental illness.”
White people, for example, murder Black people in droves and do not suffer from mental illness.
— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Although the user concurred, Perkins continued his argument to accuse disagreement with his assessment as being a product of white supremacy.
Perkins stated that failure to “understand something I’ve tweeted” is likely due to “some racial element to the issue you are not appreciating.”
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”Put more bluntly,” he continued, “you are likely treating whiteness as the presumed default in your thought process- that is white supremacy.”
Whenever you don’t understand something I’ve tweeted, it’s likely there’s some racial element to the issue you are not appreciating. Put more bluntly, you are likely treating whiteness as the presumed default in your thought processes—that is white supremacy.😕
— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Throughout the series of tweets, Perkins admonished those who disagree with defunding the police to educate themselves because “defunding police stood a better chance of preventing today’s NYC Subway tragedy than funding them MORE[.]”
That defunding police stood a better chance of preventing today’s NYC Subway tragedy than funding them MORE, is probably counterintuitive to many.
If so, you don’t understand the meaning of “defund the police” as policy and should refrain from comment until you educate yourself.— J.P. Spencer (@JohnathanPerk) April 12, 2022
Perkins also tweeted out solutions to police reform that fit an abolitionist narrative. He expressed issue with being “tough on crime” and called it “nonsense to an abolitionist.”
According to Perkins, abolitionists do not view crime as “something on which to be tough.” Rather, “crime can be modified only via access to basic resources and social services” because the “[m]majority of even violent crime is due to poverty.”
Campus Reform has reported on comments made by Perkins before. In March, Perkins tweeted out his wish for then-hospitalized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ death.
Campus Reform contacted Perkins and UCLA for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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