136 votes
Assign officers who reflect the community they patrol
Recruit and/or assign officers who have experience with the culture of the neighborhood they serve. This is more than race--it's also about income levels, education levels, and family experiences.
A white cop from Ballard is going to have a harder time policing Rainier Beach than an officer wh... more
lauren
@mr.cr.list: I think this has value. I don't believe it's intended to be segregationist at all. I think what the author is getting at is important in that the intention is to have the leaders/officers of the community have an "in" of sorts within the community they are serving. this builds trust, confidence, and balance between the citizens and the police. if you think of it as tribal vs. urban...wouldn't you want your tribe to be protected by someone who knows the subtleties of that tribe vs. ... more
@mr.cr.list: I think this has value. I don't believe it's intended to be segregationist at all. I think what the author is getting at is important in that the intention is to have the leaders/officers of the community have an "in" of sorts within the community they are serving. this builds trust, confidence, and balance between the citizens and the police. if you think of it as tribal vs. urban...wouldn't you want your tribe to be protected by someone who knows the subtleties of that tribe vs. someone who doesn't? this is about common experiences and relationships. Its not so black and white. In fact, one could say that a police who is assigned to Rainier Beach who is a white guy, but has grown up in environments similar to that area would be better suited to do so that say a black guy who'd never seen a 'hood before. This is just an example, and I do realize that it's super easy to get into stereo-types and generalizations, but I think this idea has value. Let's work together to find a balance here :)
mr.cr.list
This is BS - It's also segregationist. The law is the law no matter what your color. The people enforcing the law should enforce it equally whether they are in Ballard or Rainier Beach.
4NewIdeas
That includes fire fighters and other City employees that provide services to citizens.