WHY THIS OFFICER SAYS WE NEED TO DEFUND POLICE
The police should only respond to criminal matters, says Pierre Poitras.
One’s view of policing changes when looking at it from the inside outward. It’s meant to be a force for all that is right and good, a place where teamwork and support should be at its highest. Instead, it has become muddy and difficult to navigate. Political ideologies, media, societal and systemic issues, etc. have influenced police services throughout North America; some for good, some for ill.
A police officer is by definition an extension of the law, of the Criminal Code. The way we envision policing has become too complex for both the individuals on the top and the bottom of the organization, behind a desk and on the front-line. We need to evolve and change our methodology if we are to survive in today’s geopolitical climate.
Our first and foremost concern needs to be our citizens’ wants and needs. Our officers must ask themselves: “What would you want as a citizen of your city, as a person?” We must ask essential questions as to whether what we are doing is lawful, just, right and above all, ethical. Citizens need to tell us what they need, so we can begin to adapt. Every district, every precinct, every jurisdiction will receive different answers and they need to respond accordingly.
Law enforcement should work in the shadows. Society has a complicated view of us, viewing us through a lens of fear or even hatred, a perception it is time to change. We should no longer involve ourselves in matters that do not concern us. There are many, many branches of social services that can de-escalate situations and work with civilians. Officers should no longer respond to situations that do not involve enforcing the Criminal Code. In many
European cities, the police are solely the extension of a book, officer digression is non-existent. Instead, when the police are called, they are there to make an arrest and nothing else. We need to expand the role of mental-health services so officers are no longer in charge of mental wellness checks and the like.
It is often said that children are scared of our vehicles, or our officers. It is paramount that this perception is changed. A child of any race, gender or creed should be able to approach an officer without being afraid. We have a negative image, showing up in our jet-black SUVS and dark uniforms, an image likened to a military outfit. The police are not meant to make citizens sweat, but to make them feel safe.
A plethora of the existing city, provincial and federal laws need to be abolished. Our citizens are currently living in a police state. We ask ourselves why communities do not seem as closely-knit as they used to, it is because we are trying to have complete control over our citizens. It is imperative that we take a step back and allow our citizens to develop the skills to work with one another, settling petty differences without picking up the phone. If a situation escalates or becomes dangerous, that is the point where we respond. Neighbourly disputes, loitering, littering, trivial issues, only escalate once the police are called. Social workers with the proper training and mindset should be responding to these types of calls.
Law enforcement should be highly trained masters of their craft. Some walk the beats, some are investigators, some are leaders. What matters is that we support one another, regardless of rank or role. A clear division between roles is key, allowing officers to become experts in their specific field of policing. This way we are not training “jacks of all trades, masters of none,” but professionals, less likely to make mistakes and wrong decisions that have adverse effects on the public at large. A podiatrist would never be called in to perform open-heart surgery, so it stands to reason that a detective should not be transferred to a patrol team without reason. Why should both our citizens and officers suffer so one person can move their career forward? Every officer needs to be adept in the role they serve in order to properly serve the public.
The police need to have less control in our society. Citizen support is like sand; the tighter your grip is, the less you have. We need to relax and let our citizens take charge. We work for them, not the other way around. Defunding the police means having more money for the most important facet of our society, education. It is imperative we give our citizens the resources to have influence in the city, the province and the country they live in, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Education should be available to all, as an educated society is a peaceful society.
Citizen feedback is key in moving forward. We need to use technology to our advantage, allowing citizens to send feedback directly to the service and ask questions. The annual “policing surveys” done across the continent need to be easy to access and conducted online so that a wider array of people have access to them. Going forward, we need to listen more than we speak.
Policing needs to be demilitarized. The military is a force that either attacks or defends an enemy group. The citizens we serve are not our enemies and we need to stop looking at them as that.
We need to strive to perfect less brutal tactics. As officers, we need to hold each other accountable for our actions. The death of George Floyd could have easily been prevented if the surrounding officers had stopped what was going on immediately. When an arrest has been made and someone is in cuffs, the fight is over. That prisoner is now under your care and it is your duty to take care of them.
Our job is to take criminal suspects from the area of arrest to jail.
Deadly force should only ever be used in a situation when it is absolutely unavoidable when the arresting officer’s or surrounding pedestrians’ lives are in imminent and apparent peril. Watch one another, support one another and keep one another from overstepping our role as civil servants. No more egos, no more tough-guy attitude, no more leather-jackets and revolvers, no more corrupt moral practices, no more unnecessary violence, no more sexism, no more racism, no more homophobia. We cannot be soldiers or warriors, but guardians, standing between society and harm.
Fellow officers, this may seem frightening to some of you. You may worry about job security, or feel as if you are being unduly judged. Let me assure you, the police will always be needed. Human nature will not change at the drop of a hat. However, we need to adapt and change the way we see ourselves and the way we see the public so that they can begin to trust us again. It is wholly apparent that citizens are willing to help us change, so let them. The old days of policing are behind us; it is time to let them go. Every decision we make, every step we take, we must keep the words “Do no harm” in our thoughts. The time has come for power to be given to the people.
Const. Pierre Poitras has been a member of the Calgary Police Service for 14 years.