[RD] Policing High-Fives

[BvBPL]

Some are, most aren't, nearby Chicago and Detroit have been a mess calling for reform for years but there's been zip, zero, nada, the demographic inconsistencies in departments is pervasive across the country.

Where Northampton is a head of the curve, it should be encouraged to step up its engagement efforts so it serves as an example for other departments.

 

[metalhead]

The Northampton police don’t shoot hundreds of people. Community policing responses need to be geared towards the targeted community. What would be the correct course of action in St. Louis may not be in Northampton.

"Community policing" is merely a buzzword that people uninterested in real reform toss out to make it seem like they have answers.

The whole idea of police as privileged in their use of deadly force needs to be critically re-examined. The whole notion of police as a "brotherhood" that will protect one another at all costs needs to be critically re-examined. Cops need to be accountable to the people first and foremost. Until they are, yukking it up with some elementary school kids is a total waste of everybody's time.

 

[BvBPL]

Promoting engagement between the community and police is one of several courses of actions recommended by the NAACP’s Criminal Justice Department’s “Pathways to Police Reform” toolkit. It is one of several steps the NAACP recommends to build trust between the police and the population they serve. The progress towards this goal will be incremental and require many actions by many parties; there is no one answer.

 

[Farm Boy]

Oh good, another one.

 

[EgonSpengler]

"Community policing" is merely a buzzword that people uninterested in real reform toss out to make it seem like they have answers.

The whole idea of police as privileged in their use of deadly force needs to be critically re-examined. The whole notion of police as a "brotherhood" that will protect one another at all costs needs to be critically re-examined. Cops need to be accountable to the people first and foremost. Until they are, yukking it up with some elementary school kids is a total waste of everybody's time.

Agreed. Also, Northampton is something like 90% white. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Superior Court ruled that walking away from a police officer and/or refusing to interact with them cannot constitute probable cause to stop, question, or search a person, because people of color have such a history of maltreatment by police that fleeing is actually a reasonable thing to do, whether or not you've done anything wrong.

 

[warpus]

Uniformed police were on site at schools to greet children as they started their school day. In some cases, police officers played with school children during recess.

Maybe it's my non-American mindset but this is kinda.. weird.

If the police really want to do community out-reach surely there's better places to do it than an elementary school.

 

[Farm Boy]

If we lean on the police to deal with mental health problems, when we really shouldn't, or have limited options in the moment, the least we can do is try to build a pattern of dealing with children in the community on a personal level, repeatedly, by the same officers. Those children will grow to be teens, some of them will later deal with the police in less prescribed-friendly contexts. Might be nice if some of the officers called to respond, or on the radio available to advise, know those kids by name and some things about them. So says the doctrine of community policing and proactive involvement, at any rate. We can always continue on with the Judge Dredd approach. Seems like it's been yielding such great results we should make sure to stay the course until all of our political demands are met nationally.

 

[Lexicus]

If we lean on the police to deal with mental health problems, when we really shouldn't, or have limited options in the moment, the least we can do is try to build a pattern of dealing with children in the community on a personal level, repeatedly, by the same officers. Those children will grow to be teens, some of them will later deal with the police in less prescribed-friendly contexts. Might be nice if some of the officers called to respond, or on the radio available to advise, know those kids by name and some things about them. So says the doctrine of community policing and proactive involvement, at any rate. We can always continue on with the Judge Dredd approach. Seems like it's been yielding such great results we should make sure to stay the course until all of our political demands are met nationally.

What do you mean by the Judge Dredd approach?

 

[Old Hippy]

it makes police work easier
they just arrest you for assault when you forget your not in school anymore and high five an officer on the street with a fist bump
something my neighbour did too me yesterday
I just looked at his fist for 30 seconds thinking I am supposed to do something before it came to me and I did my first fist bump

 

[Farm Boy]

What do you mean by the Judge Dredd approach?

What's the one thing Judge Dredd would never, ever do?

 

[sophie]

I AM THE LAW!

 

[Bamspeedy]

First and foremost is almost everyone has guns now, bad guys, good guys, everyone. This lead police to just assume you have a gun cus many times you do. So you make a quick move towards your car, oh man going for the gun, and they shoot you. They didn't present any statistical evidence of this but there was a chief of police training who got his start undercover doing drug buys off street dealers in the 70s. Anecdotal evidence, but he said he never encountered a single dealer with a gun. Today they all have guns.

Look at household gun ownership rates in the 70's compared to today. It is actually lower today. I think the real stat would be handguns, not just 'guns', but every stat just likes to count all guns because it's easier and produces bigger numbers. Handguns are responsible for the vast majority of gun crimes, not hunting rifles.

Look at licensed gun dealers (FFLs) in the 70's compared to today. The 70's and 90's had double to triple the number of dealers that are around today.
There are a number of reasons for that, some of them being fewer hunters, larger dealers forcing the smaller dealers out of business, regulations, etc.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Maybe it's my non-American mindset but this is kinda.. weird.

If the police really want to do community out-reach surely there's better places to do it than an elementary school.

Some kinds of community outreach is beneficial. I remember a program in the school I attended in Grade 5 (first year attending a city school). A couple of cops gave a presentation on bicycle safety - the rules of the road, hand signals, and so on. I found it useful information.

We didn't get chummy with the cops, though.

 

[warpus]

Yeah, I remember cops showing up once and talking about safety, and maybe drugs, and some other things. I think there might have been a pep rally or a presentation involved.

But high-fiving is where I draw the line. Nobody benefits from that except the PR department

 

[EgonSpengler]

Maybe it's my non-American mindset but this is kinda.. weird.

If the police really want to do community out-reach surely there's better places to do it than an elementary school.

Just the other day I heard on a radio program that there are around 17,000 police officers in K-12 schools in this country. I have no idea how many K-12 schools there are.

 

[Bamspeedy]

Just the other day I heard on a radio program that there are around 17,000 police officers in K-12 schools in this country. I have no idea how many K-12 schools there are.

Is that number "At any given moment", "any day", just the liasion officers, or the liasion officers plus those responding to any events or truancy issues, etc.?

Anyways, that's about 1 officer per 6 schools.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 98,817 public schools during the 2009-2010 school year.

Some schools don't have a liasion officer. Some have a full time one, some have a part time one for a few hours each day, some have one for only one day a week.

 

[Kyriakos]

I wanted the title to be "policing high-elves".

Re this policy... I really doubt it is a good approach to have school-children routinely in contact with the police.

 

[Bamspeedy]

I wanted the title to be "policing high-elves".

Re this policy... I really doubt it is a good approach to have school-children routinely in contact with the police.

In every police shooting, racial riot, protest or event in the last few years that I can think of, people have asked for more community policing, having officers that know people by name, and not by their rap sheet. Having people know the cops by name so they can trust the officer. In 5, 10, 15 years, those 'school children' will be the adults walking around the streets, that the officers will be having contact with. Would you rather interact with a cop you know by name, or Judge Dredd?

Here is a basic statement of what these officers do:

The police liaison officer has several roles in the district. One of the main purposes of the liaison office is to provide the students with the opportunity get acquainted with a police officer in an informal setting and help students recognize the positive aspects of the police system. Additionally, the liaison officer may speak with students in classrooms, hallways or small group meetings to educate students regarding the mission of the SMPD or regarding specific educational issues. Oftentimes the liaison officer will remind students to walk and not run through the hallway or step in to provide informal mediation when a discussion gets too rowdy in the lunchroom.

The liaison officer may also be involved in investigation of school rule violations. Depending on the individual circumstance, the officer may help the administration by talking with student witnesses, search a locker or talk with those involved in the actual violation. During this time, the officer is acting as a partner to the district and must follow the same types of rules that school principals must follow. On occasion, the school violation may also be a South Milwaukee or State of Wisconsin ordinance/law violation. When this occurs, the liaison officer must follow the SMPD or state rules regarding the incident, which may include issuing a ticket.

Finally, the liaison officers teach the DARE classes in the 5th grade classrooms throughout the district. Two elementary schools will have DARE in the fall and the other two will be taught by the liaison officers in the spring. The DARE program educates students about the perils of drugs and alcohol, and is the beginning of a positive relationship between students and the SMPD.

Building positive relationships is a priority for the district and the SMPD. Parents will not receive a phone call each time a liaison officer talks with your student. If two students are visibly upset with each other in the hallway, the liaison officer may pull them over to the side to help resolve the issue and then send them on their way. This typically would not result in a phone call home. If the liaison officer is assisting the administration with a school violation, parents typically will receive a phone call from the school. If the incident becomes a larger issue with beyond-school potential consequences, the liaison officer will be contacting the family.

 

[Mise]

I think it's a fantastic idea for all the reasons already mentioned (mostly BvBPL and Farm Boy).

 

[metalhead]

In every police shooting, racial riot, protest or event in the last few years that I can think of, people have asked for more community policing, having officers that know people by name, and not by their rap sheet. Having people know the cops by name so they can trust the officer. In 5, 10, 15 years, those 'school children' will be the adults walking around the streets, that the officers will be having contact with. Would you rather interact with a cop you know by name, or Judge Dredd?

Cops wear name tags, so I can always just read the cop's name if I have any desire to speak to them.

I'd rather nobody trust the cops instinctively. They should earn it by being a real force for good, not by gladhanding elementary school students.