Letter to Elected Officials on Community Policing

This template was written during the summer of 2020.

Dear [insert name of elected official],

As your constituent in Illinois, I share in the nationwide mood of distress in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. These murders were completely tragic and unwarranted, and they epitomize the continued oppression of Black Americans and other People of Color in the United States. The present moment demands that every individual and public official commits to acknowledging, confronting, and eradicating the racial disparities within our social institutions. As such, it is time for a constructive re-envisioning of policing across our state.

Of the many styles of police reform currently up for debate, community policing could be the most immediately accessible and effective for Illinois police departments. Community policing is a philosophy of public safety predicated on meaningful interaction between law enforcement and community members at every stage. According to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights report “New Era of Public Safety”, it is “a process in which police departments actively build meaningful relationships with community members to improve public safety and advance community goals” in a manner that “puts the community’s voice at the center of the decision-making processes” (New Era of Public Safety, p. 2). By granting the community a voice and ensuring that its input is incorporated in departmental policies and practices, law enforcement derives legitimacy from the consent of the people and can thereby gain its trust.

A testament to the efficacy of community policing lies in Camden, New Jersey. After implementing this philosophy in 2013, Camden went from having a murder rate 18 times the national average to experiencing a drastic reduction of homicides and excessive-force complaints by 2019. Several features marked Camden’s brand of community-oriented policing: elimination of ticket quotas and arrest requirements, mandatory body cameras, increased officer headcounts for foot patrols, and de-escalation training. Each catalyzes the shift from an embedded “warrior” mentality to one of a “guardian” within police departments. Instead of assessing officers on output-oriented metrics like tickets issued and arrests made, for example, officers are judged on collaborative, community-oriented efforts such as talking to residents and business owners and attending community events. Likewise, officers are sent on footpatrol with clear direction not to issue tickets or make arrests, but rather to solely engage in meaningful interaction with community members. Under community policing, officers are also required to intervene against other officers who deploy excessive force against civilians.

There are several critical steps for ensuring the effective adoption of a community policing philosophy. First, local leaders must support resolutions which present community policing as a viable system for maintaining public safety. Second, a department that commits to community policing must do so explicitly in its mission statements, strategic plans, leadership development programs and training sessions. Third, sufficient resources must be committed to community programs. According to the New Era of Public Safety report, this can often be achieved by reallocating some departmental resources to programs for jobs, education, and housing, thereby fortifying public safety through investments in community prosperity. This is facilitated by delegating certain law enforcement responsibilities to other professionals who are trained and equipped to respond to those specific situations. For instance, some suggest that granting medical professionals and social workers a larger role in responding to mental health emergencies could lighten the load on police officers, who are less equipped for and often overburdened by these tasks.

Above all, community policing prioritizes community engagement, builds trust with the people, and aligns with community values in an overarching effort to co-produce public safety alongside community members. This by nature necessitates community partnership with law enforcement to collectively define problems and outline solutions at every step of police decision making processes. Whether as a departmental philosophy that underpins every practice and policy or as a substantial set of discretionary programs and practices, community policing is certainly not a subsidiary item. It makes actively engaging the community in police decision-making the responsibility of every officer, and it creates a dialogue for two-way education by giving the people a voice to be part of the process.

I urge you to take action to confront and root out the systemic racial disparities that have contributed to the oppression of Black Americans and People of Color for far too long. Please consider supporting and funding efforts to implement community policing in departments across Illinois, be it through legislation, educational programs that introduce departments to community policing, or support for any of its individual components.

Thank you for your time and consideration in reading this email.

Sincerely,

Eddie Ryan