Transparency critical for police after protests
Six months after protests for justice for George Floyd were coopted by violent actors, new details about the unrest emerged publicly for the first time.
Perhaps none were more jarring than learning a .223 bullet pierced the window just a few feet from a Lincoln Police Department officer who was photographing the night’s events from the third floor of the Hall of Justice.
By sharing that – which had been alluded to in June without much detail – some Lincolnites’ perspectives no doubt changed on the riots that undermined the important goals protesters sought to underscore.
This exercise, though delayed, also demonstrates the importance of transparency in law enforcement – which breeds accountability – and It’s also why the Journal Star newsroom dived so deeply into the aftermath of the protests earlier this month.
The public benefits from a two-way flow of information during this time of heightened tension and scrutiny.
Unfortunately, such transparency is not universal among law enforcement agencies.
The Nebraska State Patrol and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office declined to provide their use-of-force policies to the Journal Star, citing concerns about officer safety over sharing training materials.
Safety for the officers, troopers and deputies on the front lines of public safety understandably must be a paramount focus. That said, publicly reviewing the actions law enforcement officers took in a tense, chaotic situation helps to provide the public the clearest picture possible of what occurred and what can improve.
Further to Lincoln’s credit, its police department and elected officials have been proactive about building relationships with communities of color after the protests. Actions such as expanding the police advisory board and beginning a “Keep Cops Accountable” initiative are proof of a desire for improvement.
Though the speed at which progress is occurring may frustrate some who want more immediate reform, recall the Chinese proverb of Lao Tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lasting, systemic transformation can’t – and won’t – occur overnight, but this summer’s protests have proved their message, too, won’t be silenced without change.
The most iconic scene of Lincoln’s protests occurred on the north steps of the Capitol. A drone captured footage of organizers kneeling with Nebraska State Patrol Maj. Mike Jahnke for nine minutes – the length of time Floyd had an officer’s knee on his neck before his death.
The law enforcement officers with Jahnke who’d been tasked to protect the Capitol went inside the building during the powerful gesture. As they did, they passed beneath a clarion call for transparency: “The salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen.” Indeed it is.
With more eyes of Nebraskans than ever before watching the actions of law enforcement, agencies would be best served by being as open with the citizens they’re sworn to protect and serve – as LPD did recently – as possible.
— Lincoln Journal Star, Dec. 20