Police Reform – My Take

I have been seeing quite a bit of “only a few bad cops” as a kind of push back on negative input on police in general. I am certainly neither smart enough nor well informed enough to contribute to the discussion of how to accomplish effective law enforcement reform. For the sake of my focus on caring for my wife and my own inner peace, I do not need to get involved in these discussions and debates. Yet I need to give some expression to what is rumbling around in me that is disturbing my peace. I know “bad police” and “good police” is simplistic, but that is the level of the current debate, so I have used it. At this point, I will post it to my Writing Workshop blog but not social media. I have no illusions that my opinions would change anything any way.

My basic response to “most police are good, only a few are bad” is: I would think every “good” police officer would do everything possible to see that every “bad” police officer is held accountable and removed from law enforcement. (I used quotation marks because of the popular discussion, not to suggest the people to whom they are applied are not really that.)

To assert “only a few bad cops” implies that the bad ones must be held accountable and removed from law enforcement, and every good one should be in favor of that. Thus:

·         The law enforcement culture and structure must stop protecting the bad police officers.

·         I have to believe that the reputation of good police officers would be enhanced if they themselves made an effort to head off and eliminate bad officers.

·         Bad officers must be held accountable for misconduct with serious consequences including prison time when applicable.

·         They must be permanently removed from law enforcement.

·         Better screening and hiring practices are needed to limit those who are likely to become abusive police officers.

·         Better training is needed so they are clear about what is and is not acceptable.

·         Better supervision is needed so those who may be headed in a bad direction are corrected.

·         Better internal accountability that contributes to a culture of supporting the best practices and reduces bad practices.

·         Some form of external, independent, civilian accountability. I know that is a sensitive issue, but I know everyone needs to be accountable. In my pastoral profession I was accountable to both congregational governance and to judicatory oversight. I know that doesn’t solve everything, but is essential but may not be fully independent. I know that judicatories have sometimes protected pastors, which is wrong, but civil authorities do come into play as well.

·         Other services (including but not limited to social workers) need to be deployed so some things can be handled in a more constructive way such as (but again not limited to) mental health issues, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, domestic disturbances.

·         I have purposely put this last but it certainly is not the least significant of these thoughts. We much somehow address racial justice and relationships in our society. This is not simply a matter of personal attitudes of individuals that may or may or may not be racist. Racism is not just embedded in many structures we all live with every day, and permeates the totality of our culture. I think of it something like the proverbial saying that a fish will never discover water. Racism is all around us every day. Recognizing and acknowledging it is essential to addressing it. I strongly suspect that as a white person I am far less aware of the persistence of racism than people of color for whom dealing with it is a daily reality. This goes far beyond policing, but policing cannot escape.