Topic: Restoring Order Through Community Policing
Congratulations! You were just informed that you are the new Police Chief in a rather large city where an officer-involved shooting occurred less than one year ago. Your officer shot and killed an unarmed man, but the officer was acquitted of all charges in the shooting. Since the verdict was announced, there has been an uptick in crime in your city. You were made aware of the incident before you were hired, and you were told that the Department is now engaging in “de-policing” – departing from proactive policing – because of the anti-cop hostility in the community. Before you even had a chance to put your coffee mug on your new desk, your administrative assistant runs into your office yelling, “they’re here!” You find out that a protest march is underway with numerous reporters working their way through the melee.
Your community has lost trust in your Police Department and the courts, and they are demanding that you do something. Community leaders make their way into your office. You pause a moment – and then say, “Good to see you. You saved me a phone call. Come, let’s sit down and discuss what we can do to help our community.”
Based on this scenario, respond to the following questions:
1. As a Police Chief and a servant of God, you need to help restore order to your community. What do you need to discuss with these community leaders?
2. As a leader, you are aware that your officers need guidance.
a. First, you need to understand what is causing this “de-policing” effect. What are possible causes for your officers to engage in de-policing? (See “The Assailant Study – Mindsets and Behaviors” (FBI, 2016). [https://www.valorforblue.org/Documents/Clearinghouse/FBI-The_Assailant_%20Study_Mindsets_and_Behaviors.pdf]
b. Second, consider the following research findings: When police officers deliberately engage with citizens in a considerate, supportive, or comforting manner, this is called procedural justice. Officers are to act with dignity, which means they are to be polite and show respect to those who are subject to their police authority. Officers demonstrate trustworthiness by “showing care and concern for the citizen’s and society’s well-being” (Mastrofski, Jonathan-Zamir, Moyal & Willis, 2015).
With this information in mind, you create a new plan of action that you think will help to restore trust and confidence between the community and your Department. You name it, “This is who we are, and this is what we do.” How would you describe this plan to your officers?
