Reforming police in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is one of the few states to pass meaningful reforms into law since George Floyd’s death.
Law-enforcement leaders in Pennsylvania are committed to continuing constructive changes that can make our criminal justice system fairer for all citizens.
Pennsylvania is one of the few states to pass meaningful reforms into law since George Floyd’s death. This considerable achievement was supported by law-enforcement leaders.
The adoption and approval of well-intended and well-constructed legislation is crucial to strengthening our communities’ trust in law enforcement. It is imperative that these efforts reflect a balanced approach to addressing crime and making community safety our first priority. It is equally as critical that law-enforcement leaders have a seat at the table as future reforms are discussed.
Professional law-enforcement practitioners are advocates for best practices and standards.
What are best practices, standards and law-enforcement accreditation? In Pennsylvania, accreditation is an established set of standards of performance, acknowledged business practices and professionally recognized organizational principles that are mandated for police.
Standards and best practices are an instrument for elected officials and law-enforcement leaders to clarify policies and practices in accordance with state law and community concerns. It provides police officers clear guidelines.
What is currently expected of the police in some areas of the state has been confusing and, in some instances, impossible to know. Police policy may be incongruous with the language of our elected officials or community leaders.
Police policy may require a particular action, but that same action may run counter to the demands of a vocal part of the community. Following policy in such instances may lead to a police officer being publicly maligned, terminated or even prosecuted.
Many public safety officers are fatigued by the mixed messages they often receive from officials and the communities that they serve. Residents and business owners call the police for problems that plague their daily life — from loitering to noise complaints to intoxicated people and neighborhood disputes. Proactive enforcement intended to prevent and identify unlawful activity significantly increases the incidence of police contacts and, therefore, the likelihood of citations, arrests or use of force that some have characterized as unreasonable or even shocking.
It is perplexing that a portion of the public is blaming the police for an increase in crime and civil discord while blaming them for engaging in proactive policing that inevitably leads to more confrontation. History has shown us that in these conditions, total crime goes up and police activity effectively decreases as interactions with the public are reduced. Ill-considered measures often have unintended consequences.
Media coverage has not always put this in context. The police officers who arrested Floyd must be held accountable for their excessive use of force and callous indifference to his distress. However, Floyd’s death should not undermine the legitimacy of law enforcement in Pennsylvania, without which we will continue a path of disorder and increased crime.
We must target individual officers for wrongdoing rather than disparaging entire departments and the policing profession. Law enforcement officers are the guardians of the public.
This a critical moment. Our goal is to follow best practices, policies and standards and to stress accountability. Courageous conversations must occur.
This is not a political issue. It is an issue of civility, common courtesy and respect for human dignity. Policing must evolve with our communities. Change is both necessary and possible, but this must occur through the lens of truth and reality. This will require the commitment of all elements of our criminal justice system, social and mental health practitioners, members of the nonpublic sector, community leaders, and elected officials.
Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve the public and safeguard our communities. It is imperative and critical that law enforcement leaders have a seat at the table as future reforms are discussed.