hasn’t been demonstrated, at least not to my satisfaction, that a traditional structure is any more effective than any other family configuration. What has been demonstrated, however, is the significance of family as a tremendous force in determining how people ultimately behave. In the absence of a family structure that adequately serves a person’s communal needs, individuals will either create one or substitute an existing alternative structure to fill the void.
“The most salient example of familial substitution is the street gang. Gangs often act as surrogates for individuals who have limited family interaction and who are in need of the kind of caring and commitment one usually finds in a family. The gang is also the only social structure that has managed to reverse the social model I just mentioned. Ask any gang member what he or she is willing to do for the gang—their ‘family’—and they’ll invariably tell you they’re willing to die for it. Some of us aren’t even willing to dial 911. We just don’t want to get involved.
“‘What does this have to do with policing?’ you ask. Everything! Policing is community building. Over the years the public, as well as most police, have come to believe that what the police do is law enforcement. Well, that’s part of it. But that’s only one small part of what we do. The larger part of the job is helping to build community, to prevent criminal incidents, and to ensure the public peace and tranquility. Merely catching bad guys and locking them up isn’t enough. We have to do what’s necessary to stop people from becoming bad guys in the first place. We have to create long-term solutions that deal with the root causes of a problem and not just its symptoms. Where does that start? It starts with our children and providing them with safe, secure places to learn and grow mentally, spiritually, and physically.
“Our children find themselves, with ever greater frequency, in situations where, for one reason or another, their parents aren’t around. They’re being asked to raise themselves. There are increasing numbers of ‘latchkey kids,’ situations where both parents work outside of the home and single-parent households.
“Children need to feel they belong. They need a sense of family. Having a nice home, good clothes and eating regularly isn’t enough. In the absence of a strong family unit, children look for a substitute. It may be attaching themselves to a close friend, a group of friends, or a gang, or perhaps the child will withdraw, learning to depend and trust only him or herself. Children left to their own devices will find ways to take care of and entertain themselves, sometimes in ways that cause them significant distress. This can lead to greater difficulties within the society if it’s not appropriately dealt with early on. Prevention, not apprehension, that’s the key!
“Our children have to feel more secure in the home than they do on the street. There must be a willingness on the part of the community to accept more responsibility in the raising of our children. It really does ‘take a village to raise a child.’
“Children are getting more and more information from sources outside the family structure. That makes family interaction and community even more critical. Our children are going to make mistakes. There will be instances where a child will struggle. We must be willing to show compassion and forgive their transgressions. We have to nurture them to ensure they can become useful, productive citizens. Indeed, we must be willing to do the same for every member of our society.
“We deserve better than we have been willing to give during the past several decades. Our children deserve better! Policing is an issue that requires the commitment and active involvement of every member of the community. We can’t afford to treat each other as if we’re disposable. To make our communities strong, we must cultivate a greater understanding and compassion as well as employ acceptable models of discipline. Our society must make a new commitment to justice and recognize that justice and incarceration are not synonymous. Policing took a wrong turn a number of years ago, but we have the ability to put it back on track. This is a task for every member of society. To determine where we need to go, we have to look at where we’ve been and where we are, and then use the knowledge of how we got here to improve our chances for the future.
“The better police practices of the future will focus on our greater humanity. We must learn again to believe in others, to learn not merely to accept or tolerate our differences, but to respect and revere them. We have to see each other as resources to be used, not abused, for the collective good of our communities. The system should be about constructing and maintaining socially healthy environments. It takes a critical mass of the population working in unity to produce truly safe and serene living conditions.
“In a society predicated on the preservation of rights for the individual, we must constantly reinforce and develop our relationships with others. We all have the right to freedom and tranquility, to work and free expression. But with every right comes an accompanying obligation. Each of us is therefore obligated to the other. Each one of us can make a difference. We must accept, however, that responsibility not only begins with us, but remains with us. It cannot be relinquished or transferred.
“We stand on the precipice of an intellectual revolution. Our police departments must be fully integrated into our communities, with citizens and professional police personnel working side by side to solve the crime and disorder issues facing our society. The English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon once said, ‘It would be an unsound fancy and self-contradictory to expect that things which have never yet been done can be except by means which have never yet been tried.’ It’s time to try something new. There are smatterings of police professionals who are willing to champion new and innovative concepts and who are no longer satisfied with the status quo. As these people go about their jobs within the criminal justice system, we can only hope their passion and enthusiasm will infect others. But there must also be passion within the community. There must be a fire for justice, for peace, for what’s right, for everyone.” With that, the chief stepped back, paused a moment and said, “I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. Thank you for listening.”
The room came spontaneously to its feet. Thunderous applause went on and on. Chief Dylan stood there acknowledging the crowd, humbly accepting the ovation. I was beside myself, but I didn’t think I was alone. When the cheering subsided, the Mistress of Ceremonies told the crowd that the chief had agreed to answer a few questions. The audience wasted no time getting to the issues that had been plaguing the community these past years.
A young African-American gentleman stood and posed the first question. “Chief Dylan,” he began, “as you know, the police department has a poor reputation for being fair or objective. Many of us feel—strongly, I might add—that the practice of racial profiling is prominent and that minorities are subjected to unfair treatment. The police have been involved in shootings, beatings, and unreasonable searches and arrests. Also, it seems that since 9/11, profiling has been accepted as necessary and good. Could you give us your thoughts on this?”
The chief walked around to the front of the podium and looked directly at the young man. “Profiling is a real point of contention with me, so forgive me, but this isn’t likely to be a short answer. You see,” he said, “the police may be the most highly scrutinized and criticized members of the criminal justice community, and they may also be the group with the greatest potential for abuse within the system. Unfortunately, there are officers who have engaged in behaviors that don’t serve the people or the profession well. The media is glutted with examples where people have witnessed officers using excessive or unnecessary force. And stories of corruption, malfeasance and cover-ups abound.
“Part of the problem is that, when police executives are confronted with police improprieties, they tend to dismiss them as isolated incidents. But the last time I checked, the word ‘isolated’ meant something that occurs only once or at least very seldom, apart from normal events. The information that’s available regarding police impropriety refutes the notion that these are somehow isolated incidents. I’m not even accounting for all the things you, as citizens, never see or hear about.
“Profiling
