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Discussion Outline
Most people will know us, from presentations on documenting your cases as it pertains to gun and gang investigations in The Gun Game and The Gang Game. However, this 3rd piece of the Game series (The Honor Game) instead focuses on YOU. What is your role in The Game – through the eyes of your peers, your supervisors, your subordinates, your community, and your own self? How do you navigate the role of law enforcement officer, …while still being …just you. Are you still helping, or are you now hurting?
The presentation presents one challenging question: “Would you rather be right, or would you rather be okay?” In law enforcement, we tend to rely on the fact that what we do is “the law”, and how the manner in which we are sometimes forced to physically (and sometimes forcefully) enforce those laws, is “not wrong.” However, we seldom ask ourselves about alternative solutions, or the impact our actions have on the community. It benefits us all to hear the role that law enforcement plays in the personal story of those that we encounter. From gang members to community members, and from media coverage to roll call gossip circles; law enforcement faces a constant flow of judgement and accountability. And so how do those individual contacts that you have with individuals add up over time? How do we understand that a passing encounter between a law enforcement officer and a civilian can be a disinteresting moment for the officer, while being a life-affecting encounter for the civilian? The contacts that the police make, can become as significant to them as any other life contacts that they have. In fact, it can be eye-opening to view our community’s perception of us, through the lens of our own actions. And it can be career-ending when one negative interaction is able to eclipse a lifetime of honor and hard work.
We have all been there. We all most certainly have a story about a reputation thrust upon us that is literally the antithesis of what we have stood for. And so how do we cope, and stay positive, and continue on the right path? The answer: with Honor.
Within our own ranks, the obligations of the supervisors and the pressure on the line officer are often seen to be at odds. This is often analogous to the obligations of the police department and the expectations of the community. We have a job to do, yet we have a mountain of barriers preventing this from being an easy road. Occasional bad actors leave universal impressions. This is a fact across all organizations and across all communities. So we need to ask ourselves how many of these barriers have been unnecessarily created; and how many of these barriers can be de-escalated and torn down.
Sometimes, as a society, we all need to hold up a mirror and view the actions of ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and our community, and have a candid conversation about what responsibility we all need to take. The police are not perfect. They need as much help as anyone to grow, improve, and learn. And so, we first need to isolate the issues that are preventing our progress by labeling our failures. And sometimes, we need to highlight the intelligent talking points that can explain (to an often-frustrated counter discussion) the WHY behind what we do. One of the largest failures in law enforcement in the last 50 years has been a failure to communicate and explain our actions. Some of this communication needs to be had in advance, and some needs to be had after an encounter. But regardless, we need to be better about self-identifying our role, as well as regaining community support for the collective mission that we all share. And so, it is imperative that we leave our mark as leaders in this honorable profession.
Topics to be discussed:
- Would you rather be right, or would you rather be okay?: An explanation about how law enforcement has found itself (more than ever) as an untrusted entity rather than a trusted one. Law enforcement’s tendency to prioritize “What I did wasn’t wrong” can often eclipse the more important question of “Was what I did okay?”
- Local vs National: What stigmas from national events have affected the reputation of local law enforcement? How can we balance the need to take responsibility while deescalating the narrative?
- What is it that we Do?: The mystery around policing is not new. Those on the “outside” are, by definition, incapable of understanding the profession. Those on the “inside” are, by nature, defensive of the job that is done. We need to discuss bridging this gap and focusing the conversation towards solutions, in order to then move the conversation away from the finger pointing, the blame, and the excuses.
- Protests and Large Events: Large venue events, and large outdoor crowds are a breeding ground for conflict. Mob mentality, and the feeling of “group strength” and anonymity (by these extraordinarily large crowds) can lead to behaviors outside the usual norm for the individuals. However, the police are expected to control these environments, while often finding themselves, the very target of the growing emotions. These events however, also give an opportunity for good behavior and positive interactions, and to have the largest audience to be viewed as a positive (or negative) broad brush impression of the department.
- Overdraft – Paying Our Debts: There is an irony to the current state of ideological attacks against law enforcement which are broad based opinions; where there is often a broad based accusational opinion that the police make broad based accusational opinions about individuals in the community. How do we reconcile this irony while still maintaining our need to provide services?
- Perception is Reality: What is the current perception of the police (through the eyes of the youth, the media, and the community at large)? And conversely, what are the perceptions that the police now have of the youth, the media, and the community at large? We are aware that we face the challenges of the ubiquitous camera lenses and an occasionally misinformed narrative. However, we have to accept the reality that perception IS reality; even when it’s not. And we have to work within the confines of this new reality to continue to provide the necessary services that are expected of us; while making sure that we aren’t just “right,” but that we are also “okay.”
- Solutioning: What kinds of solutions are available to us. How can supervisors work to be more supportive? How can line officers balance the need for pro-active policing and the need for community support? What kinds of programs or ideas can we bring to the table for a more successful collaboration between all interested parties? How can we talk about mental wellness in an environment where such discussions have been dissuaded for decades? And how can we once again be seen for what we are… an honorable profession.
It should be noted that no specific case can ever be predicted, and so no lecture or story can ever replace your need for legal justifications or help to elevate your own observations. Neither this presentation nor any like it, can provide any “certification” to increase your reasonable suspicion or probable cause. As in all cases, that must come from you, and your ability to articulate your decision making process. The topics discussed can vary from venue to venue; based on the location, and the needs requested.