I couldn't agree more.

The people who are the most ethically conscious tend to be the ones that get more easily disenchanted with the corrupt and abusive systems, but these people in corrupt environments are the ones who make certain that make sure the situation doesn't go from bad to worst.

If anything, the recent events with the protests have shown that the police are hellbent on maintaining their authority, by whatever means they deem necessary. This stubbornness is not going to change in the face of a research boycott, it just means they will continue with the status quo.

If ethical researchers cede their ground in discussions about policing because they are upset with the state of the police dpt, they throw away the admittedly small check that they on police. Calling for a boycott sounds like a way for mathematicians to placate their own conscience by telling themselves they weren't involved, while not acknowledging the fact that these illusions of moral superiority might actually be more irresponsible than anything else