Policing VI: Outreach Programs

Because this series of reflections is an effort to think about ways policing could be improved, it tends to lay a lot on police. As I said at the outset, I have taken that focus only because they are the professionals and they are the people I pay as a taxpayer -- it doesn't mean anything more than that.

Still, it feels like the right time to change up a bit and offer something that is not wholly negative. In team dynamics, sometimes we take an approach of asking what we should stop doing, what we should start doing, and what we should keep doing. It's worth talking about what police should keep doing, and I'll use the Quincy Police Department as an example. QPD runs a variety of public safety campaigns that are not about law enforcement at their core:

Advocacy: Autism Awareness and Pink Patch Project offer commemorative patches that generate funds for the indicated causes. These are causes worth supporting, and I feel fairly confident they generate some good will. There is some risk a cynical observer could see them as a smokescreen behind which deportment shortcomings are camouflaged, but we're not being cynical here. It makes sense to me these are genuine expressions of concern that QPD should keep doing, but take a bit of care to avoid touting them as proof that there are no reforms that could benefit the community.

Safety: QPD offers Basic Boating Safety Courses and Car Seat Installations as in-person services. I think they once offered Bicycle Safety in person, but the web site currently only shows an online course. They also offer a Self Defense Program for women. These programs offer person-to-person contact between the police force and the community, strengthening trusting connections we want to have. These are the sorts of things I'd absolutely like to see more of. For example, imaginatively revitalizing the bicycle safety program could provide an opportunity for police to directly interact with youth in the community.

HELP (Handicapped-Elderly-Lost Persons) and Project Lifesaver / Lojack are similar to one another. They are important services and essential in overall community safety. Kudos.

Domestic Violence Advocacy Program is self-explanatory. Health Imperatives is a broadly similar effort focused on victims of sexual assault. From the website, it seems officers receive some training. And it is good that the QPD partners with advocacy groups in these areas. But I've also heard that some victims of these types of crimes have felt belittled and dismissed by QPD. These are essential services: we need to be sure the commitment to them extends way beyond a link on a website.

CRASE is a program to train organizations in responding to active shooter events. It seems like an innovative program and a good chance to build relationships between the community and the QPD. This might well be a program my church could benefit from. Definitely keep doing.

DARE Program is a well-intentioned effort to address a real problem. But long-term effectiveness is questionable and it's not clear it helps build positive relationships with QPD broadly among our youth. This one might be due for some critical review.

Jail Diversion Program is an effort to work with mental health professionals to ensure mental health events do not become criminal events. There is a recent video taken of QPD officers that provides at least anecdotal evidence this sort of initiative has had some success. But that same video showed some officers were much more willing than others to escalate the situation. I don't have overall statistics, or even a good idea how I'd get them. Nor can I pretend to know the details of that event. So I'll give a qualified thumbs up to what we're doing today, with the suspicion we could do more.

Prescription Drug Disposal is a necessary service, and QPD is a good home for that. Just from a "good governance" perspective, we need to be sure the drugs that are dropped off are well controlled from that point on and do not somehow find their way to the market or to abusers (to be clear, I have no reason to suspect that is a problem at QPD). And related to this, QPD pioneered the use of NARCAN to successfully reverse the effects of overdoses and saved lives by doing so. Let's keep doing stuff like this.

In sum, beyond the narrow mission of law enforcement, QPD has been successful in several important programs and had qualified success in several others. I see these sorts of programs as things that both have direct benefits and can also build connection with the community they serve. While there is opportunity for improvement, these are good investments, and I both commend the QPD for them and encourage city officials to continue supporting this broader view of public safety. At the same time, we need to be sure that having good programs does not blind us to ways we can do better.