In Trump vs. Harris should not take sides with the police

If the steps we recommend are implemented, America can promote a fairer, less violent policing system that is consistent with our democratic values.

David Couper and Noble Wray
| Opinion makers

Years earlier a deputy killed Sonya Massey in Illinois after calling 911 for help, the sheriff’s office failed to police misconduct within its ranks, according to a new survey by CBS News.

Why did the Springfield woman have to die in her own kitchen in July? Couldn’t that Sangamon County deputy have done something different? shoots Massey in the face? The deputy was fired and charged for her death, which the sheriff claimed was carried out by “a rogue person who acted outside his authority.But CBS News’ investigation of 2007 court documents disputes that claim.

It appears that questionable use of lethal force is far too common on a national scale. We know the names of the victims, don’t we? Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and more. We know that putting bad cops in jail won’t solve this problem of police brutality. This problem can only be solved by making major changes and improvements in our policing.

We are senior police leaders. We come from two generations of police, two thirty-year police careers, and two racial experiences. Today we have a unique mission: to help our nation develop a police system that is fair and impartial, supports our nation’s sacred values, and protects us all.

Violence harms both the community and police officers

Deaths resulting from police brutality impact not only the loved ones of the deceased, but also the police officers responsible for the deaths.

Compared to the use of deadly force by police in other rich democracieswe are the deadliest. Over the past ten years, our… police officers have killed more than 10,000 civilians.

Many of the dead were armed with a gunbut many don’t. And far too many of them were in mental health crises or were young and black.

We as a nation can do better. We are a smart, technology-oriented, creative nation. We should be able to significantly reduce the number of civilians shot by police each year.

Across Europe, the number of people killed by police each year varies from zero to less than 50. The European Union standard is absolute necessity.

Many of these deaths in America happen due to: 1989 Supreme Court decision in Graham v. Connor. The court used the words ‘objective reasonableness’ to justify the use of force by the police. However, it does little to help police and encourages them, through policy, to restrain themselves and set reasonable rules about how force should be used.

We are also concerned about the role of law enforcement unions in issues of public policy criticism, beyond negotiations over wages, hours, and working conditions. The National Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed former President Donald Trump for re-election. The Police Leaders for Community Safety organization, which includes retired officials, is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

We believe that police unions should stay out of politics support political candidates. Far too often, what they propose or oppose actively works against the necessary changes.

The police should function as protectors, not as an occupying force

Unless community leaders require police to develop strong, community-based, interactive policing strategies, little progress will be made. What we have before us is a huge system consisting of approx 17,000 federal, state, provincial and local law enforcement agencies of 600,000 local police officers.

But the enormity of the problem should not stop us from making the right decisions. Lives matter.

We have come to understand that the biggest problem in policing is the way force is trained and used. This confusion was never more apparent than after the 2014 murder of Michael Brown by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and then six years later George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody.

The problems we face are one of the consequences of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when our country’s police force became increasingly militarized.

In a free society, police should function more as guardians than as fighters—that is, as helpers and protectors rather than as members of an occupying force.

Implementing the following seven steps we recommend will promote a fairer, less violent policing system that is consistent with our democratic values:

To raise. Hire only four-year college graduates and screen them for their emotional intelligence and commitment to public service.
Respect. All officers are required to treat all people with respect at all times. Train them in dealing with conflict, de-escalating violence and embracing everyone’s right to life.
Relatively. Train officers to practice respectful behavior and intervene when a colleague is about to make a mistake.
Represent. Hire women and people of color who reflect the community being served. Make sure all officers understand the ugly history of racism and policing in our country – and how it affects policing even today.
Course. Requires at least one year of initial recruit training and requires probation officers to be closely monitored during the first two years of employment.
Use of force. Change the police standard for deadly force to an absolute necessity.
Innovation and legislation. Challenge our nation’s technology leaders to develop less-than-lethal ways for police to restrain dangerous offenders. Support healthy gun legislation.

Police must understand, as we did years ago, that police work is a calling and requires service above self. The oversight of a free society must be exercised by men and women who are honest, trustworthy examples of our national values. We must accept no less.

David Cooper began his law enforcement career in 1960 in Edina, Minnesota, after a tour with the Marines. He also led police departments in Burnsville, Minnesota, 1969-1972, and Madison, Wisconsin, 1972-1993. Noble Wray worked with David in Madison and served as department head from 2004 to 2014. He has consulted and taught law enforcement in more than 400 agencies across the country, focusing on implicit bias.