A Crisis of Trust: Policing is Under Attack, So What Can We Do About It?

Policing in a democracy is difficult business; there can be no doubt.  Our federal and state governments limit law enforcement's interactions with the public and defines how we can legally interact with persons we suspect of criminality, and rightfully so.  All of us in this business know the basic rules and principals.

In the media today and even at our respective precincts and statehouses, nearly every law enforcement pundit is shouting from the rooftops about how American law enforcement is under attack, and how the police have lost the support of the public.  I contend that we are feeling attacked not because we do not understand the rules, or because they are changing, but instead I believe that right now we, as a profession, are experiencing a crisis of trust.  The trust I am speaking of is the kind that a community, a population has for and with its law enforcement agency.  

I could, but I won’t, run off a list of actions taken by members of the law enforcement community that exemplifies conduct that would call into question tactics, legalities, behavior, ethics and integrity… but that would simply restate what so many others have already reported. 

I could also identify inappropriate actions by the activists, spokespersons, government officials and pundits... but I am not going to do that either.  

Instead, I am going to advance some simple and instinctively obvious means of improving our self imposed circumstance. Before you take offense at the term self imposed, please know that it is not meant to be offensive and further, it is not intended as demeaning, but simply as a statement to describe what, to me at least, is obvious…

That we as a collective are a major cause of  the outcry we are experiencing, and we as a collective can solve our own crisis! 

Some of you will inevitably take that as a bit brazen and even offensive, it's not.  Quite simply, in the Untied States, the law enforcement community has over-rated the need to drive crime down as low as possible.  Furthermore, we have backed away from some of the most important initiatives in the field and overemphasized others, that , while they are effective, are not the answer to building trust and not the panacea they have been purported to be.

 We must recognize that crime will NEVER be ZERO! Once crime reaches an acceptable level, meaning it is low enough where people feel safe and secure, the public does not care about further reductions. 

Instead,  they care about trusting the police and feeling as if they have a voice and that the police care about what is important to them, their families, their businesses and their lives!  

With the above as the backdrop, the following philosophies and programs, implemented in a balanced and conglomerated fashion, are what I believe can turn this crisis around and regain the public's trust and confidence in the police.

1. Be proactive and re-institute and re-commit to Community Policing --by partnering with all segments of the community and focusing attention on the disenfranchised. If major portions of our population feel as if they are being ill-treated, then we must acknowledge that there is a foundation for their complaint's and actively commit to resolving the issue(s).
2. Train and implement Problem Oriented Policing. Having been trained and worked as a Problem Oriented Police Officer, I have found that there is no better way to address traditional police problems than by taking new and innovative approaches to solving traditional problems. By looking at issues with fresh eyes, with an “outside the box” mentality and further, by starting with the end result in mind, we can focus on solutions instead of the problem. We can and will make meaningful and permanent change when we believe that we can make life better for all we serve! 
3. Implement the precepts of Community-Based government- as the leaders in the field of Community Policing, we need to begin the process of training all government agencies in community policing methods and moreover, create opportunities to partner with government and non-government agencies, as well as social and faith based organizations. This approach will help to create a seamless and holistic method of solving the issues facing our communities and also provide needed assistance to individuals in need.  Community-Based government can prevent issues from forming as it is addressing the issues that already exist by identifying all interested stakeholders and preventing people from “slipping between the cracks.”
4. Intelligence Led Policing(I.L.P.) - Utilizing I.L.P. methods to focus resources and bring needed attention to the locations where predictive analysis indicates crime will occur will reduce crime and actualize the highest level of productivity and efficiency for our financially strapped departments and the communities that fund them. The unpredictable results experienced when law enforcement focused on randomized patrol can be a thing of the past if I.L.P. is implemented correctly. Enjoying the illusion of omnipresence is important, but being present when crime is actually being or about to be committed is a much more effective way of fighting crime. 

Again, a key is that we do not overemphasize the focus on driving crime to zero and avoid overdoing the data driven I.L.P philosophy/programs.  By putting too much focus on I.L.P we will lose connections and opportunities to partner with our communities and the people we serve.  We must police with a balanced approach and with a determination for making the world a better place.

As you read the above and digest the approach, notice that only one area of this philosophy deals directly with crime as the emphasis of attention.  The methodology, while admittedly stated in broad terms, focuses on relationship building, establishing trust, and formulating partnerships.

  If we are to be successful in policing the democratic America of today, we must create partnership and mutual respect with all those we are sworn to protect and serve. 

Law enforcement is about service, about preserving the peace and about guarding against injustice in any form. Truly, nobody can be left out, and all must be given a sincere opportunity to bond with the agency’s that are there to serve them, no matter how persistent we must be to regain their trust!

We are not victims, we are resilient, we are capable and we are survivors. 

We must seek first to understand; it is only then that we can truly work to be understood.  RW