How deep is the painful divide between Black communities and police departments that serve them?

An important new Gallup Poll delivers some unexpected, encouraging good news.

The researchers asked a pointed and important question: “Thinking about any interactions you may have had with the police over the past twelve months, would you say you were treated fairly?” Amazingly, 74% of Black respondents said “yes”.  Almost as many – 73% said they were “treated with respect.” Most surprising of all, a big majority – 59% – of Black respondents said their most recent interactions with the police constituted “an overall positive experience.”

It’s true that an even higher percentage of white adults described their police contacts as positive, but when some three quarters of all Americans, of every race say the cops treat them with respect, then it’s an indication we’re hardly experiencing a rising tidal wave of racist brutality from the dedicated public servants in law enforcement.