One essential method in the measurement of police performance is “perception of the public”. The police are the most visible part of the government and most actions by the police are in view of citizens. Today there are currently people who believe that the police officers are too violent and should be given less control but there are others who believe that the country itself is increasing in its crime rate and because of this, there needs to be a greater number of police and law enforcement containing its citizens.
One of the previous blog posts called “Policing In America – Issues by the Numbers and Our Issue With Numbers” the public’s perception of the police force was that “2 out of 3 Americans stated that they felt that officers do not do a good job when it comes to force, fair treatment and accountability”. This type of resentment towards the police has been brought out through the fairly recent police brutality events such as Ferguson. Because of these high profile incidents and the civil protests that follow, the law enforcement is confronted with challenges to keep their partnerships within their communities.
Even without scandals such as the recent ones in Missouri and New York City, the public is frustrated with police when they generally seem more interested in generating revenue and meeting quotas instead of protecting society. For instance, do you ever notice that there are more speed traps around the end of each month than at any other time? There is a minimum performance standard that can vary amongst departments. Al O’leary, a spokesman for the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association in Brooklyn, New York says “Such quotas put the cops under pressure to write summonses when the violations don’t exist … It takes discretion away from the police officer”. However, representatives from several police departments argue that while ticket revenue may fund police departments to a certain extent, a police officer’s purpose is not to generate revenue. Speeding tickets simply just coincide with the enforcing of laws, according to police departments. The public however, may see things differently.
There has also been a negative outlook on police officers from the younger generation. Kids today, because the mass media, see police officers as “mean and kinda strict”. Recently, a police officer in Kansas City stopped to talk to two kids who were walking with their parents. Nothing special, just a simple conversation; asking their names, how old they were, how they were doing –showing the family that police officers do care about the citizens they vow to protect. After the conversation, the ten-year-old girl stated that she felt like “Officer Orth was one of those police officers that actually cared about people”. The Officer, when later interviewed, told a reporter that he believes that those types of random and kind conversations with strangers is what will change people’s perspective on the law enforcement. But why is there already such a negative stigma surrounding today’s law enforcement? Why do young children believe that the protectors in our country are actually the “bad guys”?
In response to these types of opinions from people of all ages, some local police departments are asking for feedback from their citizens. This month, the Walpole Police Department in Massachusetts sent out a survey to every household asking its citizens what they expect from their police department. The main principle of this community policing states that “the police and community create collaborative partnerships with each other; develop mutual trust, and work together to solve problems, while conjointly enhancing the quality of life for its citizens”. Their goal is to have a strong mutual bond between the people of Walpole and their law enforcement so that they can create a healthier and more crime free environment. Over 3,000 citizens responded to the survey specifying exactly what they want from their police department. Now this philosophy does not mean that the police officers wont enforce their laws but rather that there is a more collective stance on what is important in Walpole and what needs improvement. Honestly I think that this type of collaborative ideas between the law enforcement and its community is what can really make a positive change within other areas of the United States.
I think the rarity of random acts of personability and kindness from officers , to the point where it makes local news, seems a bit sad. Following police brutality-based turmoil, the poor perception of police has been difficult to shake, and it has taken members of the public speaking on their behalf to really redeem their dignity in some cases. Though we may be looking for someone to “blame” in our expressions of opinion, the police cannot be universally blamed for the extent of some of their actions, and the media cannot be completely blamed for the way their stories are covered. It’s a mixture of many parties and many factors that influence how we look at their sometimes questionable roles.
I find it interesting how you rarely hear about incidents of kindness by police officers such as the conversation that Officer Orth had with the two children. In terms of the public’s perception of police, I think the media definitely plays the biggest role. Obviously we are more than capable of forming our own opinions, but it is hard to counteract the way the media creates bias, whether it is in what they say, how they say it, or what they choose not to say. I feel like if the media was to make stories like these more well-known, the public’s opinion of police officers would definitely change, although it is hard to erase such high-profile events as Ferguson.