10.4: Education

Another way for police departments to establish effective leadership in the realm of police-community violence is to educate the community in the expectations they should have of the department and the expectations the department has of the community. This function addresses the "community cultures" dimension of effective leadership. No matter what the internal functions of effective leadership within the department, positive change in the police-community violence cycles will occur more easily if the community is involved in the change process. Police-community partnerships and the engagement of the community in solving problems of violence enhance police effectiveness.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

- Nelson Mandela

There are several questions the law enforcement executive can ask to determine the extent the community is likely to be involved in helping retard the police-community violence cycle. These questions are based on the premise that the police and the community share ownership, responsibility, and accountability for reducing these incidents of violence:

• What programs does the department have that assist officers in understanding community attitudes towards police use of force?
• What programs does the department have that assist officers and the community to reduce incidents of police-community violence?
• Do all officers engage in interactive meetings with community groups and leaders?
• Does each officer consider himself or herself responsible for building police-community trust?
• Are there existing mechanisms for "taking the pulse" of the community on key issues involving police-community violence?
• Does the department periodically schedule formal meetings with community groups and leaders to review the issue of police-community violence?
• Do all the parties involved in reducing police-community violence (police, courts, probation, prosecutors, schools, and the community) meet regularly to review strategy and results?

These questions help police executives and community leaders identify areas or concerns that should be addressed in managing the police-community partnership. The extent to which this connection is well managed will, to some extent, dictate the degree of success the police executive can expect.

A police organization's attempt to control the police-community violence cycle cannot be accomplished by a one-dimensional approach to the problem. A leadership plan which focuses merely on one aspect of the problem is most likely a plan that will not achieve its objectives. What is required is a multidimensional approach which focuses on both internal and external factors, an approach which addresses operational problems as well as administrative processes, and which addresses the need for change within the informal leadership of the department as well as the need for change within the community.

Through the development of an "interactive" model of professionalism which focuses on the four stated areas of change within the department and its environment, police executives can develop the effective leadership necessary to have an impact on the cycle of police-community violence.

Additionally, educating the rank and file officer and field supervisors are critically important. Each day, police officers are called upon to handle a wide variety of situations, any one of which potentially might result in an officer or citizen suffering serious bodily injury or death. Although no two situations will be exactly the same, police have encountered the vast majority of different kinds of circumstances before. Therefore, most response situations lend themselves to prior analysis and review. Whether the police are called upon to handle a violent domestic dispute, a barricaded subject with hostages, a major civil disturbance, or other situations, departmental procedures can be drafted to provide the individual police officer with direction that will reduce the chances of unwarranted violence. Care should be exerted to ensure that written directives on most response situations are carefully developed, regularly updated, and constantly reviewed by every member of the organization.

Along with written directives, another major component of a police department's efforts to manage circumstances is its commitment to in-service training and development. While many organizations rightfully place a premium on the value of recruit training, they are sometimes less attentive to providing a systematic program of in-service training for veteran officers. Although departments may be powerless to control the level of violence that officers face in every situation, they should recognize that a carefully designed program of in-service training is of fundamental importance to avoiding police-citizen violence and ensuring officer safety. Many police contacts with citizens or suspects have the potential for violence, as emphasized elsewhere in this publication, but a well-trained officer is the first line of defense in reducing the risk of serious injury or death.

When the police are called to the scene of a potentially life-threatening situation, more often than not a confrontation not of their making confronts them. In the initial moments, the person or persons responsible for instigating the confrontation may appear to be in control. But as sufficient numbers of officers arrive, the inevitable decision on using force to end the confrontation is brought up for consideration. While no two situations are exactly alike, the merits of negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution should be given their due. Police who employ force as an immediate response to a crisis situation are frequently labeled as reactionary--as opposed to being recognized as the power in control of the situation. In most instances, police departments that elect to employ mediation and conflict resolution and other communication skills instead of force are generally credited with reducing the level of tension.

Negotiation in a crisis situation generally affords the police an opportunity to carefully formulate a well-constructed response. Additional time also facilitates the strategic placement of key personnel, who by then will be in full possession of virtually all of the resources which appear necessary to bring about a successful conclusion of the situation. In the final analysis, if all attempts at talking fail and the time for negotiating comes to an end, the police will be able to demonstrate that they legitimately attempted to use reason instead of force, and only altered their course of action when no other alternative reasonably existed.

Expert skills at negotiating, mediation, and conflict resolution are not natural talents that are automatically acquired by each new officer who enters the field of law enforcement. Departments should ensure that classes in negotiating, mediation and conflict resolution are contained within the curriculum of their in-service training and development programs. Recognizing that the decision to negotiate--as opposed to resorting to force--will not always be a viable option, the police department should at least indicate its preference for negotiation whenever possible.