21st Century Policing: Leadership, Vigilance, Collaboration

It has been an honor to have 275 published works, and to deliver presentations on issues, which in my opinion are critical to America.

It is also an honor to have these issues published in my newest book titled Reawakening America.

Along with the many topics that have been covered, policing, built on iron-clad partnerships with the community, has often been underscored.

These partnerships must be built on the pillars of leadership, vigilance, and collaboration, and are only productive when trust is the foundation.

American Policing: Reviewing Issues and Responses

Based on the extensive amount of material covered, a quick review to summarize some of these articles is now in order.

Here follows highlights from a select group of ten articles.

Hopefully, this summary will ensure that police-community partnerships have the encouragement needed to continue building bridges of trust.

NYPD Neighborhood Policing is a Shared Responsibility, Mar. 21, 2018

“A unity of effort between the police and community is the foundation for protecting America and critical for securing our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.

“Protecting our communities and the morale of the nation demands unwavering shared responsibility, the lifeline of public safety.

“America must be fully committed, without reserve or excuse, to building bridges between the police and community as our way of life demands this collaboration.

“Failure to share responsibility is not an option as without cohesiveness the results will only be distrust, discord, and disorder.”

As a follow up to this article, just this past weekend, New York City experienced the first weekend without a murder in 25 years.

Based on this statistic, and the importance of Neighborhood Policing, I communicated information to the New Jersey Attorney General on October 16, 2018 which included the following:

“Neighborhood Policing, an outstanding step-up from community policing, deserves implementation in agencies and communities throughout New Jersey. We should enhance collaboration with the NYPD, fine-tune this model for New Jersey, and provide the necessary leadership.”

Empowering America’s Police to Serve as Ethical Protectors, Feb. 8, 2018

“America’s law enforcement professionals are in critical roles of protecting and serving our communities.

“We must recognize, appreciate, and support them in their challenging work. We must also realize our shared responsibility and do everything in our power to forge iron-clad police-community partnerships.

“These partnerships must be built on an ethical code, essential not only to law enforcement professionals, but on every community member privileged to call America home.”

Best Time to Be a Cop in America, Sept. 10, 2017

“Policing is critical to American society and must perpetually stand on the pillars of ethics, trust, collaboration, and moral courage.

“When these principles are honored, police-community unity is forged, and America’s way of life is protected from discord, lawlessness, and turmoil.

“Yet, one would be oblivious, irresponsible, and naïve to miss the challenges policing in America is experiencing.

“The spotlight on policing illuminates the critical need for trust. Society will thrive when trust is the catalyst for police-community partnerships.”

America’s Drug Crisis Demands Police-Community Unity, Apr. 13, 2017

“America’s police and communities are being challenged to unify to remedy our drug crisis.

“An entire generation of America is suffering from the drug pandemic and we must unify to prevent continual heartbreak to families.

“As we rise to the occasion with moral courage, we must remember that the police and the people are one.

“We must forge iron-clad police-community partnerships to take back our communities from the drug pestilence.

“The reality of the drug crisis is a matter of family tragedies, heartbreak, and death. Our drug crisis also inflicts suffering on the morale our nation.

“We will be on the path to reawakening the nation when, as ethical protectors, we dedicate ourselves to unity.

“America is suffering, and we must all respond to take back the nation from the scourge of the drug crisis.”

American Policing: Restoring Trust, Building Community, Oct. 20, 2016

“During the last few years, there have been incidents, controversies, and protests throughout America that must serve as a clarion call to renew, restore, and rejuvenate police-community unity.

“A policing incident in any community can spark intense repercussions throughout the nation. Any breakdown of trust between community and police demands an urgent, unwavering, and complete dedication to remedy the problem.

“Police-community collaboration will only be possible when leadership builds bridges of trust.

“These ideals will become reality when human contact, with respect as the foundation, is enhanced between police and the community.”

21st Century Policing: America’s Ethical Guardians, June 23, 2016

“There has always been corruption in government, but this is no excuse for unethical behavior to continue.

“The dignity that represents America demands renewal, and our police, so vital to the integrity of government and security in our communities must rise to the occasion.

“Every law enforcement official who takes the sacred oath to protect and serve must be fully dedicated to society as an ethical guardian.

“There can be no compromise by law enforcement officials to ethical values. Law enforcement must be totally and wholeheartedly committed to their sacrosanct duty, never faltering with the responsibilities bestowed upon them.”

Police-Community Collaboration: America’s Public Safety Lifeline, Feb. 18, 2016

“Police-community collaboration is critical to renewing the values of America and the lifeline of public safety throughout the nation.

“America must rise to the occasion with an unwavering commitment to facilitate police-community collaboration, the lifeline of public safety.”

Police in Schools: Safeguarding America, Building Character, Nov. 5, 2015

“When our teachers and police collaborate to enhance security, character, and the preventive system of education, we will inspire our youth to carry the torch of America’s decency.

“The school resource officer (SRO) is a priceless component of violence prevention and character education for our schools. This initiative also promotes a positive image of law enforcement to our nation’s youth.

“Our schools should do everything possible to have an SRO program and law enforcement should be fully committed with the most qualified, trained, certified, and dedicated professionals available.”

Principles of American Policing, May 5, 2015

The nine principles of American policing include the following:

• “Moral courage must be encouraged, as police must be empowered make decisions that are legal, ethical, and moral.
• “Patriotism is mission-critical. Honoring America, our flag, and our military personnel must be part and parcel of the police officer’s creed and take place at every police event.
• “Police interventions must always be proportional, constitutional, and uphold quality of life issues deserved by all communities.
• “Police require a discerning recruitment process, education credentials, and ongoing training/certifications, including constitutional policing, diversity, civil rights, race-relations, violence prevention, community policing, crisis management, ethics, leadership, gangs, private security, and use of force.”

Building Police-Community Trust: Wake Up, America, Dec. 5, 2014

“Community policing must be central to reawakening the nation. It deserves full dedication from every member of law enforcement (not just selected members assigned to a community policing unit) and from all members of every community.

“Endless rhetoric, political appointees, and self-serving commissions will only be a waste of time.

“America deserves action, leaders of character, and police–community cohesiveness so we may live the legacy of justice destined for our nation.’

Final Reflections

As expressed through this selection of articles, a unity of effort, or “mutual responsibility” as emphasized by the NYPD, is critical to safeguarding America.

It is my hope that our nation will have the unwavering commitment to police community collaboration, as this unity is essential to the health of our nation.

Note Well:

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Vincent is author of 275 articles, including his weekly column titled “Reawakening the Nation” for the Epoch Times; 35 countries, 21 languages, and growing. As a national speaker, he has addressed audiences nationwide on issues critical to America including ethical leadership, violence prevention, and crisis planning. He also has thirteen cover stories published in The Chief of Police, some of which are illustrated above.