In this interview, host Don Hutchison asks me about my work. And what I am most excited by the work I am doing as executive director of Police2Peace, a national nonpartisan charity I founded about 2 years ago, Police2Peace offers low-tech, high impact ways to help community engagement and lower barriers between police and the community. We first started doing this through the PEACE OFFICER identity program, where we visibly put decals with the words PEACE OFFICER on police vehicles. More recently, we have begun offering programs for police departments and communities to help change minds and open hearts to how we can all live in peace.
Continue readingCompassionate Police
When Peace Officer is in the Name, the Dynamic Changes
In this podcast, I spoke with hosts Xander and Erik to try to unpack the tensions surrounding police and our communities. First, just because it’s a really big issue doesn’t mean that nothing can be done about it. But the complexities of the issue extend not just to what we see in the media, but to entire communities who feel underserved. They’re unhappy with the way they’re being policed. They feel that every time there’s an incident involving the police, the community, the city, or the police department only react afterward. They were hoping that body cams would work, but sometimes that equipment isn’t working. People are hoping to be believed that they are being heard in their expression of ill-ease with how they’re being policed.
continue readingPeace Officers Take Part in National Night Out
National Night Out has become an American tradition in cities around the country. Because it brings together citizens and law enforcement officers in the spirit of celebration and fun, it is bringing back a true sense of community. Recently, one of our departments Gonzales, California Police Department, debuted their PEACE OFFICER vehicles at their National Night out celebration.
Continue ReadingPEACE OFFICERS: Can they become the guardians of our society?
Beginning in 2016, a discussion among leaders in the field of policing began to how good officers had become at fighting crime; but still, the country seems at odds with so many incidents covered in the news media all the time. It seems that there is a need for increased trust, safety and cooperation between communities and law enforcement officers which has become critical in nature. Departments of all kinds throughout our country are finding themselves in a defensive position within communities they are sworn to protect and serve. But can instead become the “Guardians” of our society? We think the answer is yes. And the way to do this is for officers and departments to be able to communicate their values and to have that message translated properly so the listener understands what the intention is. So what are those “guardian” values? We think they consist of four things: 1) To prevent conflict; 2) If there is conflict, help resolve it; 3) Diffuse situations, and 4) Aid the defenseless.
Continue Reading