Ten years ago, this town used to be different. Back then, you could walk down the street without worrying about being singled out by the police just because of your skin color. But that was before.

Last night, another young black man was stopped and searched in a posh part of London that I've lived near all my life. It's not like he was causing any trouble or anything. Just walking home from work as usual.

I remember back when people still thought the police were here to protect everyone equally. Not just pick on those who look different or live in certain neighborhoods.

Now it feels like every other day there's a new story about some young black person getting harassed by officers out of all proportion to what they've done. What happened last night is just another nail in the coffin of any trust that used to exist between communities and law enforcement here.

The numbers don't lie. Research shows black individuals are up to 48 times more likely than white Brits to face stop-and-search checks by London police officers - especially if they happen to be walking through a wealthy area where no one expects such things to happen.

It's not like this is the first time we've heard about racial profiling and overreach in British policing. But every report that comes out seems to confirm the worst fears of those who have been sounding the alarm for years now.

Every single one of these incidents chips away at what little faith remains in our police force among communities of color. And you know something's wrong when your neighbors start talking about how often they've experienced this kind of treatment.