How to root out racist cops without hurting the morale of the many good officers
By Eli B. Silverman and John A. Eterno
New York Daily News
June 26, 2020
Law enforcement agencies are agents of the executive branch of
government. They work for mayors, governors and the president. As such,
these organizations and their leadership are political, and political
priorities frequently result in policing modifications.
Cities like New York, Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis elected mayors
who campaigned on police reform and community partnerships. Minneapolis
has decided to dismantle its police department. Seattle has abandoned a
precinct within a six-block area. Atlanta has fired a police officer
without any due process.
Here in New York City, the NYPD has decided to disband a very effective
program at the precinct level in which plainclothes officers
aggressively fight crime. These anti-crime units were instrumental in
the city’s historic, huge 24-year decrease in crime.
While reforms are welcome by many who worry only about policing abuses
and racism, little thought is being devoted to the impact on the local
police who engage with the community. In order for the police to be
effective, they cannot be browbeaten by elected officials who are
primarily and often prematurely guided by the prevailing winds.
How do we go forward? Most importantly, we need to support the vast
number of righteous and hard-working officers — many of whom are black
and Latino. Most of these officers have gone through a tedious hiring
process. This includes psychological testing, physicals, medical
examinations and character background checks. This varies by department,
but most are handpicked. Are mistakes made? Of course. This is the
nature of hiring human beings.
Many are calling for widespread defunding of police departments. This
will have a deleterious effect on departments. It takes money to fund
high-quality de-escalation training, to compensate professionals, to
monitor and supervise problematic officers, and to purchase needed
equipment.
At the same time, the cloak of policing needs to be removed. Police
need to be transparent in their operations and records of problematic
officers. This too will be expensive. For example, it means body cameras
for all officers, footage from which should be accessible to the
public. We also need to put more teeth into civilian complaint
mechanisms throughout the country in order to ensure their
effectiveness.
Local police departments all need to adhere to significant national
standards regarding hiring, selection, use of force and other features.
This can be achieved by extending the practice of national accreditation
to professional organizations like the Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies. Individual officers, just like physicians or
lawyers, should be licensed to practice. And, when necessary, licensing
should be removed.
Beyond all this, we must focus on democratic values, not vigilantism. This means officers working with communities.
However, it must be understood in the end that policing is not an
innocuous game. It inevitably involves the use of force. People and
police will get hurt and die. Even when police actions are questionable
and subsequently reviewable, the public must support due process of both
the alleged criminal and, just as important, the police. We cannot
abandon the thin blue line admirably supported by the bulk of the public
especially after significant reforms are implemented.
Thus far, the executive branch, at many federal state and local levels
has failed to calm the public, unite people and draw up viable practical
solutions. We need to move on.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Eli Silverman is a personal friend.
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