³ÉÈËXÕ¾

Either some police are becoming more brutal, or the policing crisis going on now has been happening for years and the white middle- and upper-classes are just now seeing it for themselves.

Former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper says there is no doubt which is the correct answer.

“It is clearly the latter,” Stamper told Seattle’s Morning News. “Nothing is new, certainly not for the African-American community.

“What is new is white middle-class Americans are seeing [it],” he said.

NAACP president: Seattle could be the next Dallas, Baton Rouge

Stamper, who was chief during the WTO riots of the late 90s and has spoken out against the war on drugs, says police officers embrace a wide range of beliefs about the work they do and the communities they serve.

“But if there’s one thing in common, it’s a tendency to tolerate dishonesty,” he said.

Police, he added, tend to tolerate explanations that are known to be false. It’s called the “code of silence” for a reason, he said.

The discussion around police brutality has dominated headlines. Several deadly police shootings continue to set off protests around the country as people try to draw more attention to the treatment of people of color by police. Even in Seattle, a city well known for its liberal stances, the issue of unfair treatment by some police has been pushed to the forefront.

Related: Could Seattle’s ‘deep-seated issues of racism’ fuel a tragic event?

Stamper says the problem stems from a “system-wide” failure. Training is part of that, but not the whole issue. Along with ending the war on drugs, which has strained the relationship between police and minority and poor communities, Stamper believes there’s a problem with not having any kind of national standard on policing.

Simple language within our laws is a major issue, too. Stamper says holding police accountable for shootings is extremely difficult due to language that can make it nearly impossible to find officers guilty of anything. Take the Washington law that defines when police can legally use force; if a jury believes an officer fired without malice, nearly any shooting is legal, ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio’s Dave Ross has pointed out.

Related: Seattle officer suspended for ‘magic number’ of punches

Stamper says all an officer really needs to do in order to not be convicted of murder is prove his/her or another’s life was in danger.

“What some are saying is there are awful but lawful police shootings,” Stamper said.

Should the laws be changed?

“Absolutely.”