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Police2Peace - Protecting The Peace In Our Communities.

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Protecting The Peace In Our Communities

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Earth to Portland: Dispatch from the Nation’s Problem Child

December 2, 2020 by Lisa Broderick

Portland’s White Stag sign in September 2016. Photo by Steve Morgan.

We live in Portland, Oregon. As almost anyone in our town will tell you,  the question we are getting the most from those who do not live here these days is, “Are you okay?” 

That is what it is like to be the national Problem Child.  The next set of questions are some version of: “What’s wrong out there?” “Is your neighborhood trashed?” “Are there really Proud Boy patrols around town, heavily armed?” “Did you really almost elect an Antifa mayor?”

One of us is a long-time practitioner of nonviolent civil resistance and scholar in the field of conflict transformation.

One of us is a medical professional innovating new ways to help protect and heal brave activists from the trauma they have experienced both on the streets and in life.

We are sending two messages. 

The first is to the country at large: We will be all right. Though Portlanders are devastated about boarded-up downtown businesses and trashed public places, we also resent President Trump’s unwelcome destructive interference and bald-faced lies about our beautiful city. Most Portlanders do support Black Lives Matter.  Very few media have been reporting the complexity of our streets and what has happened to co-opt the protest narrative. We also vehemently disagree that most Portlanders support the local version of the Proud Boys. All of the street brawlers, the worst of which included Trump’s unmarked federal agents and the abominable behavior of some Portland police—have very low levels of support here.

The second message is to activists in Portland and elsewhere: Stop the violence. Push the reset button on our vigorous yet chaotic and violent protest movement.  We can all agree in our support of our First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly and further, that we all come to the streets with passion for change.  

But the community at large is hurting and so will any others who suffer these outbreaks of toxic masculinity.  

We are scarcely thinking about George Floyd, Kendra James, Breonna Taylor, James Jahar Perez, and all the other unarmed African Americans murdered by police when the nightly protest focus has become chant, graffiti and property damage.  The narrative is getting lost. The murdered ones deserve the message and the moral high ground as well as tactics that work to bring more numbers to the fight. 

Yes, Trump’s troops attacked peaceful protesters. Yes, the Portland Police have betrayed the public trust in their bursts of unprofessional conduct.

But responding in-kind with thrown soup cans, bear spray or Molotov cocktails only serves to slam shut any sympathy locals and others feel for activists—including the consistently peaceful people who never even engage in property destruction, let alone using violence to defend themselves against police violence.

Whether the violent self-defense is done by undercover agents meant to discredit a movement or done by authentic enraged activists, the effect is the same: loss of support. Politicians, police, and opinion leaders see this erosion of sympathy and become far less inclined to address the problem that activists claim to be demonstrating to solve.

The “point” becomes debating whether or not to wreck stuff and whether or not to act in violent “self-defense.”  (It’s worth noting that all violent parties purport to make that claim, like a preschool group of children all saying that “He started it!”). Whether the initial point was protesting police killing unarmed Black people or Trump attempting to steal an election, breaks in nonviolent discipline causes public opinion to shift toward the party that maintains the discipline. And just to compound the unfairness, if all parties are violent, the public will become increasingly grateful for the thin blue line “protecting” them from the chaos.

We understand deeply and painfully how profoundly unfair that is, as real harm has been done in Portland.  We bear witness to that.  But if things were fair, no one would need to protest in the first place. When movements win, they do so with strategy, not inchoate rage.

Do we suggest apathy? Absolutely not. Resistance to injustice or to threats to democracy should be robust. 

Here is what we advocate: 

  • Commit publicly, repeatedly, and authentically to nonviolence for the duration of this campaign. More people will sympathize, support, and participate in a nonviolent campaign; thus it is also more likely to succeed in effecting change. 
  • Develop unarmed, nonviolent peace teams who can help participants in such events maintain nonviolent discipline under all circumstances. 
  • For the foreseeable future, we recommend only scheduling direct action events during daytime hours. Mischief is mostly done under cover of darkness and even peaceful demonstrations at night are nearly invisible.
  • We call on our faith communities and labor unions to stand with nonviolent activists and help movements self-police against loss of nonviolent discipline. 

We need everyone united in the need for nonviolent change to defend historically marginalized peoples and to make our democracy more robust. In doing so we join the proud legacy of successful defending democracy campaigns from the Philippines (1986) to Chile (1988) to Serbia (2000) to Ukraine (2005) to the Gambia (2016) and counting. They all stopped election theft while maintaining nonviolent discipline. Many other struggles for racial justice, labor rights, and the rights of all historically marginalized peoples won using strict nonviolent discipline. Relatively few won by using violence.

It’s time for us to show the world that Portland is a town of peace warriors.  Let’s practice activism that everyone can participate in, including our children.  This world is theirs to inherit–let’s make our streets safe for them again.  

We ask this with profound humility and respect for each and every Portlander and all genuine justice activists everywhere.

Dr. Tom H. Hastings is Coördinator of Conflict Resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University, PeaceVoice Director, and on occasion an expert witness for the defense of nonviolent civil resisters in court. 

Saskia Hostetler Lippy, MD, is a psychiatrist in practice in downtown Portland and has been volunteering to provide psychological first aid to those involved in the Portland protest movement. She is also a field monitor for the TRUST network. 

Filed Under: Community Policing, Uncategorized

Solving the Crisis of Policing

August 30, 2020 by Lisa Broderick

There is a crisis of policing in this country.   It’s not just the elephant in the living room—today it is the living room.  It’s in every American living room:  media stories, citizen iPhones, body cams.  In the wake of the death of George Floyd and so many countless others before him, the crisis of policing in this country has reached epidemic proportions.  And it’s not so much police tactics—although many would point to that and with good reason.  Other countries employ in practices much like the US for their police; just recall the images of Chinese officers tamping down protesters in Hong Kong over the last 12 months. The difference is that those countries have somehow solved the riddle of deadly police force far better than the US.  For example, according to the FBI, about 1,000 police officer-involved deaths of citizens occur every year, while in other developed countries the police may not be involved in even one police-involved death of a citizen in a year. 

Why is this we ask ourselves? Explanations range from the fact that Americans are largely armed, that our roots are in rugged individualism , the popularization of the spirit of adventure policing careers, the deployment of technology in the 1990s in the place of community policing and being on the street.  But those issues are not what this article is about.  Given where we are at this moment in time, how can we solve the crisis of policing?

I believe that the current crisis of policing in this country requires a quantum leap in our thinking—something that is so aspirational, that it is so radical that it will actually change police culture.   That disruptive idea is the notion of going back to our roots as PEACE OFFICERS.  It’s profound when you finally see it. 

If we go back to the fundamentals, what is the real name for cops?  They’re “peace officers”.   That’s what the law usually calls them.    PEACE OFFICER is the one unifying notion that all cops are tied together by.  So how do we actualize this as a nation?   One way is using the ethos of PEACE OFFICER for our police and sheriff’s deputies:  To prevent conflict; If there is conflict, help resolve it; diffuse situations; and aid the defenseless.   Police officers are in our communities to intervene and defend the defenseless.   That didn’t happen for George Floyd and that’s inexcusable.  And I feel, preventable.

Now that we’re no longer turning away from the problem we need to develop a solution for why police-involved deaths of citizens keep happening and develop a national strategy to address it.   I believe that a cultural shift in the policing paradigm from recruiting and hiring for the adventure of policing, to returning to our roots found in our penal codes that call cops PEACE OFFICERS is a good start.  It makes the responsibility of police enforcement the facilitation of peace in the community. Further, what is needed is for departments to have organizational alignment around peace officer, which includes messaging, training, and reward systems because we have to have consistency in actions with the symbolism of peace officer.   If the only tools we give cops are nightsticks and guns, then we shouldn’t be surprised that they are going to use force and end up killing people.  We have to give them other tools:  resilience training, de-escalation training, community outreach programs, and technology.   We can re-shape policing in this country into transparent, rightful and non-fatal using the notion of PEACE OFFICER. 

Filed Under: Community Policing, Uncategorized

Ashland Police Chief O’Meara talks use of force

June 20, 2020 by Lisa Broderick

by Joe Zavala of The Ashland Tidings 

https://mailtribune.com/news/top-stories/ashland-police-chief-omeara-talks-use-of-force

Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara has already expressed his feelings regarding the death of George Floyd. And if O’Meara’s stance wasn’t made clear enough by the sign he briefly held during the first of two protests in Ashland Sunday — it read “Stop Lynching Black People” — his elaboration between the protests removed all doubt.

Ashland Police Chief O’Meara talks use of force. Police2Peace - Protecting The Peace In Our Communities.

But what about the other officer in the now infamous video, the one standing with his back turned as officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes? The answer to that, O’Meara says, can be found in the criminal justice code of ethics and APD’s own code of ethics, with which every officer is expected to comply.

The code includes a section titled “Duty to Intercede,” which states, “Any officer present and observing another officer using force that is clearly beyond that which is objectively reasonable under the circumstances shall, when in a position to do so, intercede to prevent the use of such excessive force. Such officers should also promptly report these observations to a supervisor.”

O’Meara said the duty to intercede goes to the heart of what it means to work in law enforcement.

“It’s just such a fundamental part of being a police officer that not only won’t I do anything unjust, I will not tolerate anybody else in my department being unjust, and I’ll report and intercede.”

It’s a subject that comes up in interviews with prospective APD officers, who are asked what they would do if they saw a fellow officer physically abusing a prisoner. Their answers, O’Meara said, as well as the decisiveness with which they are given, are crucial.

“And if that person’s answer is not immediately, ‘I would intercede, I would make sure the prisoner is safe, and I would report that person to a supervisor,’ then that person is not going to be an Ashland police officer.” Floyd died after Chauvin used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck against the pavement. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and was one of four officers fired over the May 25 encounter

Filed Under: Ashland

Frederick is an Example for the Nation

June 15, 2020 by Lisa Broderick

A lone protester rises above a sea of fellow mask-clad protesters who knelt during a moment of silence, part of the March for Justice event in June, one of many social justice protests that swept the country in 2020. News-Post photographer Graham Cullen.

Congratulations to the march organizers, the Frederick Community, and the Frederick Police Department (FPD) for their outstanding managing of events last week.

As people across the country rightly expressed their outrage over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police, unfortunately at some of these events a small minority of participants engaged in crime and disorder. For chiefs and departments tasked with managing protests and related unrest, this is one of the more challenging aspects of urban policing. Almost no choice made by the police in those instances is fully embraced by the community or ends up being one hundred percent right; the police are criticized for being either too lenient or too overbearing in their response.

In Frederick the results were different. Community organizers and the FPD did an excellent job. To my knowledge there were no injuries and there were no arrests. This is a credit to both the community and the police, and the bond of trust built in our city. Why these events were so peaceful is a valuable question upon which we should reflect.

Good policing is predicated on respect, trust, legitimacy, accessibility, accountability, empathy, transparency, communication, and collaboration. It centers on a foundation of dignity, respect, and “seeing” the people we serve. It includes hiring the right people, providing them outstanding training and leadership, and adherence to best practices. And that is just the baseline.

It requires relentless engagement with the community — literally becoming part of the community of those we swore an oath to serve. It is based on making continued deposits of goodwill, so that when a withdrawal is needed, the community faith and trust in the police are strong. These are not trite or empty words. The police literally derive their power from the people. We must never betray that trust or authority, and recognize that our existence is to serve the public.

In 1829, Sir Robert Peel, accepted by many as the father of policing, established nine principles of policing. They remain as relevant today as they were then. Given the multi-disciplinary responsibilities now asked of the police (more about that later) and the astounding increase in weaponry among the police and citizens, it is arguable that these principles are more profound and relevant than ever. Key points from these principles follow.

“The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police existence, actions, behavior and the ability of the police to secure and maintain public respect.”

“…the police are the public and the public are the police…”

“The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with them.”

Sir Robert Peel

Peel’s Principals intersect with current best practices, including the 2015 Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st century policing, which provides a blueprint for reform. Likewise, the National Police Foundation, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Commission on Accreditation in Law Enforcement, and the International Association for Chiefs of Police all provide roadmaps to excellence.

But Peel’s principles also inform today’s relevant discussions about “defunding” the police, which does not mean doing away with the police, but does mean imagining and realizing what many police leaders have been asking for decades-what does society want/expect from the police? Are police, “a sworn officer with a gun and a badge,” best suited to address issues in society such as drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, hunger, joblessness, homelessness, truancy, etc., or are experts trained in appropriate disciplines better suited to focus on these challenges?

And we must acknowledge that reforming the police is not enough — we must reform the system which criminalizes homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Defunding the police approaches the logical concept of appropriate allocation or reallocation of funding so that the best services may be provided by those that have expertise to more effectively address these social needs. We must have the imagination and the will to see and do things differently. While we won’t do away with the police, what we must eradicate is the basis for the general fact that historically, those who have needed us the most have trusted us the least.

Peel’s Principals intersect with current best practices, including the 2015 Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st century policing, which provides a blueprint for reform. Likewise, the National Police Foundation, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Commission on Accreditation in Law Enforcement, and the International Association for Chiefs of Police all provide roadmaps to excellence.

But Peel’s principles also inform today’s relevant discussions about “defunding” the police, which does not mean doing away with the police, but does mean imagining and realizing what many police leaders have been asking for decades-what does society want/expect from the police? Are police, “a sworn officer with a gun and a badge,” best suited to address issues in society such as drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, hunger, joblessness, homelessness, truancy, etc., or are experts trained in appropriate disciplines better suited to focus on these challenges?

And we must acknowledge that reforming the police is not enough — we must reform the system which criminalizes homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Defunding the police approaches the logical concept of appropriate allocation or reallocation of funding so that the best services may be provided by those that have expertise to more effectively address these social needs. We must have the imagination and the will to see and do things differently. While we won’t do away with the police, what we must eradicate is the basis for the general fact that historically, those who have needed us the most have trusted us the least.

Kim Dine is a 41-year veteran of law enforcement, having served with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC., the Frederick Police Department, and the United States Capitol Police. Dine was Chief of the Frederick Police Department for 10 years.

Filed Under: Community Policing, Uncategorized

Peace Officers Respond to the Covid-19 Pandemic

May 8, 2020 by Lisa Broderick

Responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department PEACE OFFICERS initiated a first-ever change for law enforcement.

Changing the Way Officers See Themselves, and How the Public Sees Them

Recently, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department initiated a first-ever change for law enforcement:  they included the words PEACE OFFICER on all of their deputies’ shirts and vests.  The 800-plus-deputy department will be the first law enforcement agency in the nation to do so.  This unique move on the part of RCSD is being undertaken to convey messages of peace, security, reassurance during the current COVID-19 crisis.  Said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott about the change, “As we navigate through these uncertain times, the act of further identifying our deputies as PEACE OFFICERS is but another means by which we can demonstrate to the public and the communities we serve that our deputies are and will be a reassuring presence regardless of the situation,” said Lott. “A peaceful community is a far safer community.”  The PEACE OFFICER vest-branding initiative is a first for the nation, but not for RCSD.

In 2018, the department took part in a still-ongoing academic study (aimed at determining the impact or words and public perception) by marking all RCSD vehicles with the words PEACE OFFICER. Other law enforcement agencies have since followed suit.   The results have been impressive for the work we have been doing here at Police2Peace.  Positive perceptions of safety and community engagement increased. Officers’ views of their roles in the communities changed. And a materially significant number of citizens who saw the decals versus those who did not report that ‘people can change.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Lowering the barriers between the community and the police

March 22, 2020 by Lisa Broderick Leave a Comment

Police2Peace was started as an idea: what if we could help departments develop community engagement and lower the barriers between police and the community? Police2Peace - Protecting The Peace In Our Communities.

Police2Peace was started two years ago as an idea:  what if we could help departments develop community engagement by lowering the barriers between police and the community?  Now, in 2019, we have done just that with multiple departments around the country.  Beginning with the Redlands police in 2017 and the Richland county sheriff, we have expanded our departments to include many more police departments, as well as developing community outreach.     And what we’ve done with these departments is to develop what we call a “metrics” driven program, meaning that we actually produce research results with every department we work with.  

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Filed Under: Peace & Police

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