Tag Archives: community policing

national news

This is 'community policing' at its finest

William Stacy well might become the face of compassionate, community policing.

He’s an officer with the Tarrant (Ala.) Police Department.

http://www.katv.com/story/27617914/officer-who-caught-woman-stealing-to-feed-her-family-delivers-donations-to-her-home

A woman was caught shoplifting some eggs from a store. The officer arrived. Instead of arresting her, he bought her the eggs. The scene was caught on video, which then went viral. Donations began pouring in.

The woman, Helen Johnson, was desperate. She had lost her job. She lacked the money to feed her children and grandchildren. William Stacy’s reaction to all of this could have been much different.

Oh, and when you look at the link attached, you’ll notice that Ms. Johnson is black and Officer Stacy is white.

In this time of tempest and tumult involving white police officers and black constituents, this link provides a healthy dose of goodness to counteract the anger we’ve been witnessing.

 

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Community vs. military policing

When Jerry Neal became chief of the Amarillo Police Department in 1981, he introduced a concept that was still fairly new in departments across the nation.

It is called “community policing.” It puts officers in close contact with residents. It encourages more person-to-person contact, seeking to make cops more like best pals rather than intimidating forces to be feared.

If given a choice between community police strategies and a military-style presence in our streets, I’ll stick with the former rather than the latter.

Now we hear that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has the authority to cease giving surplus military equipment to police departments. Mr. Secretary, stop the practice at least until the nation gets a clear and full understanding of what has gone so terribly wrong in Ferguson, Mo.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/215527-pentagon-hagel-has-authority-to-suspend-program-for-arming-cops

“The secretary has the authority to rescind and take back equipment that is transferred to local law enforcement agencies if he deems fit. He has that authority,” said Pentagon Rear Adm. John Kirby.

I believe Hagel should “deem fit” a suspension of the policy that provides police agencies the surplus equipment.

Police militarization has become one of the focal points of the Ferguson upheaval, after a young black man was shot to death by a white police officer in the suburb of St. Louis. The cops responded initially with officers donning body armor and weaponry befitting a Green Beret platoon or SEAL team. Let’s just say it didn’t play well in the community.

Emotions will have to settle down considerably in Ferguson for any meaningful change to take hold.

When it’s all over, I’d settle gladly for more community policing efforts in all departments.

Maybe someone ought to call Jerry Neal, who’s now retired, and ask him for some sage advice on how this principle works.

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Militarization takes center stage

The Ferguson, Mo. crisis is producing many elements to a growing crisis of confidence and trust.

One of them involves the militarization of police departments. Yes, this one is immensely troubling.

As one who supports police officers and law enforcement generally, I am appalled by what I’m learning about how some departments have assumed military-like presences in their communities. The Ferguson PD’s response to the reaction to Michael Brown’s shooting death looks like an extreme example of overreaction.

Is this what we want our police departments to become? Do we want them to present themselves to the community that officers take an oath to “serve and protect”?

I shudder at the thought.

National Public Radio had an excellent report this morning on the subject. It brought up several key elements, such as how cops too often are outgunned by bad guys armed with automatic weapons. Police departments obtain surplus military equipment — such as armored personnel carriers, for crying out loud — from the Defense Department.

I don’t have a particular problem with cops using stout weaponry when the need presents itself. There always should be discretion and sound judgment brought to bear, though, when police officials decide to deploy the heavy stuff against citizens.

I’m not for one second saying we should disarm our cops, turning them into camp counselors with badges. They need to protect themselves against the roughest of the rough customers they occasionally face.

This discussion, though, is a worthy one. Let’s have it and let’s keep it intelligent and thoughtful.