Reawakening American Policing: Officer Safety, Ethical Certifications, Community Trust

American policing is experiencing a crisis, and the world is watching. 

This crisis has been ignited by a perfect storm from multiple fronts. 

First, there is the continuous violence inflicted upon police due to our culture of violence. 

Compounding this danger, is the stress, anxieties, and casualties caused by the coronavirus. 

Further exacerbating these issues are mental health concerns, as well as ethical certification needs, and the issue of police-community trust, all of which will be addressed in this article. 

Therefore, this article will address three critical topics - officer safety, ethical certifications, and community trust. 

Each of these issues are essential and inseparable for the transformation, or reawakening, of American policing.

As these topics are crystalized, it is imperative to understand that this transformation is the unconditional responsibility of both law enforcement and the community.

Police and Community Transformation

There is a mission critical need for both policing and communities to undergo a transformation. Both must all rise to the occasion and character is critical for change. 

Character in our police agencies must be cultivated through world class ethical policing certifications. It must be cultivated in our communities, especially in our schools and workplaces. 

There are broken bridges of trust between communities and police departments throughout the nation. 

Whenever there is an incident, it is widely and immediately publicized due to instantaneous social media, and violence often erupts. 

Indeed, as I write this article, the headline breaking news is “100 Arrested, 13 Officers Injured in Chicago After Police Shoot Man.” 

America demands a reawakening. 

We will remedy this crisis with moral courage, unwavering commitment to transforming the nation one community at a time, and building iron clad bridges of trust with the police and community. 

In Memoriam: Officer Valentin Martinez 

Before we continue, it is our solemn duty to pause to honor our fallen officers. 

One officer representing all in harm’s way during the challenges of the coronavirus is worthy of remembrance. 

Los Angeles Police Officer Valentin Martinez passed away on July 24, 2020. Officer Martinez, 45 years old, who served at LAPD Mission Station, died after courageously battling a long fight with the virus. 

Officer Martinez leaves behind his wife, 20 weeks pregnant with twins at the time of his death, his mother, siblings, and his LAPD family. 

He tested positive for the virus at the end of May, 2020, one of 423 LAPD officers who had tested positive at that time. 

In Memoriam: Officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell

Another officer representing the dangers of the profession also deserves our heartfelt pause. 

Officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell of the Beaumont Police Department in Texas was killed when a wrong-way drunk driver hit the squad car she and another officer were in. 

The other officer sustained major injuries, but was released from the hospital after treatment. The surviving officer has a long road to recovery ahead. 

Officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell was only 23 years old, and was married for just ten months. 

Police Suicides: Awareness, Prevention, Action 

Although I have addressed the tragedies of fallen officers extensively in published articles for The Chief of Police magazine and my newest book, Reawakening America, it is important to take time to focus specifically on mental health issues. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “each year more than 41,000 individuals die by suicide, leaving behind thousands of friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of their loss." 

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among adults in the U.S. and the 2nd leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24; these rates are rising. “Suicidal thoughts or behaviors are both damaging and dangerous and are therefore considered a psychiatric emergency. Someone experiencing these thoughts should seek immediate assistance from a health or mental health care provider. Having suicidal thoughts does not mean someone is weak or flawed.” 

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) cites in their document titled Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide, that each year more law enforcement officers die by suicide than are killed in the line of duty. 

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the component of the U.S. Department of Justice dedicated to advancing community policing, encourages everyone to take action to prevent law enforcement suicides. 

In one Community Policing Dispatch newsletter, COPS states the following: 

“Care for officer's mental and emotional health should be on par with their safety and physical health. In order for prevention efforts to be successful, agencies must also address cultural and environmental barriers to prevention at all levels, e.g., the still-pervasive stigma that discourages at-risk officers from seeking help for fear of negative peer reactions or career ramifications; lack of comprehensive suicide prevention policies; and insufficient training for officers or health care providers. 

“There are many people who have a role to play in preventing suicide among law enforcement officers. 

The attitudes and behaviors of chiefs, supervisors, peers, health care providers, family, friends, faith leaders, and others can all influence officers' health.” 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

Aside from resources for assistance within law enforcement, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) at 1 800-273-8255, provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources, best practices, and building awareness. 

As detailed on the NSPL website, these are some warning signs that may help to determine if one is at risk for suicide. 

These warning signs, “especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change” demand that someone seek help: 

•Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves 

•Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun 

•Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live 

•Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain 

•Talking about being a burden to others 

•Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs 

•Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly 

•Sleeping too little or too much 

•Withdrawing or isolating themselves 

•Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge 

•Extreme mood swings 

Each life is sacred and deserving of respect, support, and encouragement. 

The maxim “if you see something say something” is applicable not only to crime prevention, but to protecting the lives of all experiencing emotional trauma. 

We must continually have eyes wide open to warning signs of suicide, and the moral courage to respond to prevent tragedies. 

Ethical Policing Leadership: World Class Certification Program 

Along with protecting those who protect us, we must also ensure that they have world class training and certifications. 

It has been my privilege to develop the program “21st Century Policing: America’s Ethical Protectors” for law enforcement. 

Ethical training, development, and certification is critical to the entire law enforcement profession, and so I am taking the liberty to share some details. 

By doing so, it is my fervent hope that law enforcement agencies nationwide are inspired to make on-going ethical policing initiatives - that highlight certification programs - fundamental to their mission. 

My program specifies that premier law enforcement agencies recognize that a respectable program on ethical policing stands as the hallmark for professionalism.   The reasons include the following: 

•Ethical policing certification is a proven educational model that strengthens operational efficiency, improves morale, and increases respectability. 

•Ethics empowers the rank-and-file of an agency with leadership skills, vigilance enhancement, and collaborative expertise. 

•Ethical Policing addresses state-of-the-art ethical principles based upon recognized issues vital to the profession. This is the most effective way of developing, attaining, and sustaining the vision, mission, and core values of the agency. 

•Ethical Policing strengthens agency accountability, and improves community trust through principles enhancing expectations, performance, and responsibility. 

•Ethical certification assists in limiting the agency’s liability as it demonstrates that ethical training has been conducted by an independent respected authority. 

This program, already presented for an initiative of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (BCPCA), Bergen County Prosecutors Office (BCPC), and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), has an agenda that includes the following: 

 •Ethical policing principles 

 •Principles of American Policing 

 •Emotional Intelligence 

 •Cultivating a reputation of respect 

 •Building community trust 

 •Neighborhood Policing 

 •Sexual harassment 

 •Crime prevention 

 •Communication skills 

 •Mental health 

 •Conflict resolution 

 •Crisis management 

It has also been my honor to present versions of this ethical leadership program at numerous venues for the FBI, as well as for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Conference on Ethics in America at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 

Parenthetically, there are also opportunities that should be made available by law enforcement for the community relative to ethical certifications and community trust.

These initiatives fall under Community Policing, or as the NYPD refers to it, with some philosophical variation, Neighborhood Policing.  

One such initiative is a Citizen Police Academy, one of which I myself completed over 20 years ago with the Teaneck, New Jersey Police Academy.

Initiatives such as this, allow citizens and police to build trust, while understanding and enhancing the criminal justice system, and form community parnerships.

Nine Principles of America Policing: Building Bridges of Trust 

Although Sir Robert Peel’s Nine Policing Principles are timeless, contemporary issues demand principles complementing tradition while respecting current realities. 

Therefore, I have developed these Nine Principles of American Policing to enhance dialogue, communication, and trust between police and communities.

The Nine Principles of American Policing are as follows: 

1. Being pro-police and pro-community is inseparable, indefatigable, and preeminent. Police must at all times remain fully committed to protecting and serving the public through character, ethics, and leadership that is total and whole-hearted. Police must be guided by a moral compass that honors the community, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. 

2. Respect must be the heart of the police and it must be unwavering for the profession, colleagues, and community. Respect can only be earned through integrity, accountability, and transparency. These qualities build trust, legitimacy, and collaboration. 

3. Police deserve that every level of government provide the resources necessary for proper police staffing, training, and community service. 

4. Initiatives enhancing police-community relations must continually be implemented and include citizen appreciation events, National Night Out, neighborhood block watches, and citizen police academies. Programs for youth, the future of the nation, are vital. These include school resource officers, youth police academies, character education, and mentoring initiatives. 

 

5. Police deserve the latest and most effective technology to protect themselves and the public.

 

6. Moral courage must be encouraged, as police must be empowered to make decisions that are legal, ethical, and moral. 

7. 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 event. 

8. Police interventions must always be proportional, constitutional, and uphold quality of life issues deserved by all communities. 

9. Police require a discerning recruitment process, education credentials, and ongoing training/certifications on issues including constitutional policing, diversity, civil rights, race-relations, violence prevention, community policing, crisis management, ethics, leadership, gangs, private security, and use of force. 

Final Reflections 

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. 

About the Author 

Vincent J. Bove is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America. Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award, former confident of the New York Yankees, and author of 275 articles and 4 books.

He served as spokesperson for a coalition of victim’s families of the Virginia Tech tragedy. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. 

For more information: vincentbove.com or Twitter -@vincentjbove 

Note Well:  This article was cover story for The Chief of Police, Summer 2020, Volume XXXVII, Number 2, the author's 15th cover story for the magazine.  

The magazine was distributed via hard copy to police chiefs and law enforcement executives nationwide.

Photos 

1. Atlanta PD initiative, Masks for the Homeless. (Courtesy Atlanta PD) 

2. LAPD funeral for Officer Valentin Martinez, died from coronavirus. (Courtesy LAPD) 

3.Police Officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell (Courtesy Beaumont PD) 

4. Minneapolis Police (Courtesy Minneapolis PD) 

5. NYPD Officers. (Courtesy NYPD) 

6. Vandalized Portland PD vehicle.(Courtesy Portland PD) 

7. Teaneck Police Department Citizen's Police Academy Certification to Vincent John Bove, May 21, 1997

8. NYPD officer assisting elderly. (Courtesy NYPD)