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    • In Trump v. Harris, Police Should Not Take Sides
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    In Trump v. Harris, Police Should Not Take Sides

    Umito Posted on

    If the measures we recommend are implemented, America can foster a fairer, less violent policing system consistent with our democratic values.

    David Couper and Noble Wray
    | Opinion contributors

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    Years before a deputy killed Sonya Massey In Illinois, after she called 911 for help, the sheriff’s office failed to control misconduct within its ranks, a new CBS News investigation shows.

    Why did the Springfield woman have to die in her own kitchen in July? Couldn’t this Sangamon County deputy have done anything other than shoot Massey in the face? The deputy was fired and charged in his death, which the sheriff said was committed by “a rogue individual who acted outside the scope of his authority.” But CBS News’ review of court records dating back to 2007 disputes that claim.

    It appears that questionable use of deadly force occurs far too often nationwide. We know the names of the victims, don’t we? Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and more. We know that this problem of police brutality will not be solved by putting bad cops in jail. This problem can only be solved by making major changes and improvements to our policing.

    We are senior police officers. We come from two generations of police officers, two 30-year law enforcement careers, and two racial experiences. We have a unique mission today: to help our nation develop a fair, impartial policing system that upholds our nation’s sacred values ​​and protects us all.

    Violence harms both the community and the police

    Deaths due to police violence impact not only the loved ones of the deceased, but also the police officers responsible for these deaths.

    Compared to the use of deadly force by police in other rich democracieswe are the deadliest. Over the past decade, our the police killed more than 10,000 citizens.

    Notice: A pot of hot water. A cop with a gun. The death of Sonya Massey is another American tragedy.

    Many of those who died were armed with a gunbut many were not. And far too many of them were experiencing a mental health crisis or were young and black.

    As a nation, we can do better. We are a smart, creative, technology-driven nation. We should be able to significantly reduce the number of citizens shot and killed by police each year.

    In Europe, the number of people killed by police each year varies from zero to less than 50. The European Union standard is absolute necessity.

    Many of these deaths in America are due to 1989 Supreme Court decision in Graham v. Connor. The court used the terms “objective reasonableness” to justify the use of force by the police. However, this does little to help the police and encourage them, through policy, to restrain themselves and establish a reasonable rule regarding how force should be used.

    We are also concerned about the role of law enforcement unions in matters of public policy criticism outside of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions. The National Fraternal Order of Police supported the re-election of former President Donald Trump. THE Police Leaders for Community Safety The organization, which includes retired civil servants, supports Vice President Kamala Harris.

    We believe that police unions should stay out of politics and support political candidates. Far too often, what they propose or oppose goes directly against the changes needed.

    The police must function as protectors, not as occupying forces.

    Unless community leaders demand that police develop strong, interactive, community-based policing strategies, there will be little progress. What we have before us is a huge system consisting of approximately 17,000 federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies with 600,000 local police officers.

    But the scale of the problem should not prevent us from making the right decisions. Lives matter.

    We have understood that the major problem with policing lies in the way force is trained and used. This confusion has never been more evident than after the Murder of Michael Brown in 2014 by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and six years later when George Floyd is dead in custody in Minneapolis.

    The problems we face are one of the consequences that occurred after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when the national police became more militarized.

    Notice: More armed police are not the answer to school shootings

    In a free society, the police must act more as guardians than warriors – that is, as helpers and protectors rather than members of an occupying force.

    If the following seven measures we recommend are implemented, it will promote a fairer and less violent policing system consistent with our democratic values:

    • Educate. Hire only four-year college graduates and evaluate them on their emotional intelligence and commitment to public service.
    • Concerning. All officers are required to always act with respect towards all people. Train them to manage conflicts, defuse violence and defend everyone’s right to life.
    • Relative. Train officers to demonstrate respectful behavior and intervene when a colleague is about to make a mistake.
    • Representative. Hire women and people of color who reflect the community served. Make sure all officers understand the ugly history of racism and policing in our country – and how it affects policing even today.
    • Training. Require at least one year of initial recruit training and require probationary officers to be closely supervised for the first two years of employment.
    • Use of force. Change the police standard from deadly force to absolute necessity.
    • Innovate and legislate. Challenge our nation’s technology leaders to develop less-than-lethal ways for police to subdue dangerous offenders. Support common sense gun legislation.

    Police must understand, as we did years ago, that policing is a calling and requires service above self. Policing in a free society should be carried out by men and women who are honest and trustworthy role models of our national values. We should not accept less.

    David Cut began his law enforcement career in 1960 in Edina, Minnesota, after a tour with the Marines. He also led the police departments of Burnsville, Minnesota, 1969-72, and Madison, Wisconsin, 1972-93. Noble Wray worked with David in Madison and later served as the department’s chief from 2004 to 2014. He has consulted and taught policing in more than 400 agencies across the country focusing on implicit bias.

    Umito
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