21st Century America Requires Police-Community Unity

The recent fatal police shootings that occurred in Tulsa and Charlotte are sobering reminders of the critical importance of building trust to enhance police-community unity in America.

Police-community collaboration is one of the hot buttons of the presidential campaign trail, with both candidates continually arguing their proposals.

The issue took center stage on Sept. 26 at the first presidential debate.

During the night, candidates focused on race relations, building trust, justifiable force, police reform, violence prevention, law and order, stop and frisk, gangs, and fallen officers.

Democratic Candidate: A Recap

The Democratic nominee stressed that race relations remains “a significant challenge” in America and is influenced by where individuals reside, the public-school education available, and their treatment by the criminal justice system.

The candidate also stated that “we have to make sure our police are using the best training, the best techniques, that they’re well prepared to use deadly force only when necessary … and that everyone should be respected by law and everyone should respect the law.”

The Democratic candidate also argued that since "the first day" of her campaign, she's called for criminal justice reform-a two-step process she believes would help to solve existing issues.

"We have to recognize...there are so many good, brave, police officers who equally want reform," she said. "So we have to bring communities together in order to begin working on that, as a mutual goal."

She also stated that it is necessary “to tackle the plague of gun violence” as it is a “big contributor” to contemporary problems and it’s the “leading cause of death of young African-American men.”

Republican Candidate: A Recap

The Republican nominee presented a rebuttal by stressing that his adversary failed to use the term “law and order,” a major theme of his campaign.

He stressed, “If we don’t have it, we’re not gonna have a country.”

The candidate stated that in inner cities, African-Americans and Hispanics are “living in hell because it’s so dangerous.” He continued that “You walk down the street, you get shot.”

He said, “You take the guns away from criminals that shouldn't be having it.”

“We have gangs roaming the street, and they have guns, and they shoot people, and we have to be strong.”

He said, “We have to protect our inner cities, because African-American communities are being decimated by crime.”

Presidential Candidates: Some Recommendations

While observing the presidential candidates, I reflected on the many articles authored for the Epoch Times for the last few years.

These articles address issues critical to America, and police-community unity, as detailed throughout the articles, is paramount for our nations healing, security, and renewal.

I respectfully recommend that America’s presidential candidates, as well as their leadership teams, take time to review these articles. It is my humble opinion that they crystallize concepts on police-community unity, an issue demanding unwavering leadership from our next president.

Many of the articles in my Reawakening the Nation column, stress police-community collaboration, leadership principles, ethical guardian development, violence prevention, law enforcement and race, transforming policing, policing principles, gangs, community policing, enhancing police-community trust, and security insights on protecting our communities and homeland.

These issues demand American leadership.

Final Reflections

As an American, I am privileged to serve the nation by addressing issues of leadership, vigilance, and collaboration. These are critical issues of our time and demand a sense of urgency, determination, and resolve.

I am confident that America’s finest hours are ahead of us. But, I am realistic that police-community controversies, violence, and our crisis of leadership may intensify before our renewal takes place.

Presidential nominees, I implore you, for the best interests of America, to reflect on the police-community issues memorialized in the Reawakening the Nation column over the last two years in the Epoch Times.

Reviewing the insights documented in these articles, will be time well spent. I am confident our presidential nominees will find them enlightening and beneficial.

Implementing the lessons in these articles will benefit America with the healing, renewal, and rejuvenation our destiny deserves.

May our next president have the wisdom, leadership, and character our nation requires to enhance our police-community partnerships, and set us on the path of unity.

Related Coverage:

Police-Community Collaboration: America’s Public Safety Lifeline

America’s Mission: Eradicating Discrimination, Prejudice, Racism

The 21st Century Cop: Vigilance, Community, Protecting America

Transforming American Policing: A Defining Moment

Note Well:

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Vincent is author of over 200 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing.

Photos

1. Mourners attend a candlelight vigil honoring Officer Matthew Gerald in Baton Rouge, La., on July 18, 2016. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

2. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton answers a question during the presidential debate with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

3. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Sept. 26. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

4. Protesters block I-277 during a third night of unrest following Tuesday’s police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)