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### The Factor of WOW in Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy:Promoting Public Trust and Confidence through WOW Service and Servant Guardianship    

*Creating a customer  service culture*

I  participated in implementing the pillars of procedural justice and police  legitimacy over the course of the past 10 years in each of the divisions I have  been responsible for in my capacity as a captain for the Kalamazoo Department  of Public Safety (KDPS). As simplistic as it sounds, it is true: procedural  justice and police legitimacy work. Treating everyone with dignity and respect,  regardless of their lot in life, is paramount in our profession. 

After  a traffic stop data analysis report was released with findings that Black  motorists were more than twice as likely to be stopped as White drivers in  Kalamazoo, I was transferred to the Operations Division of KDPS with the goal  of enhancing the trust with the community we serve. In the aftermath of the  traffic stop analysis, it was readily apparent that we would need to focus on  and implement two main principles or initiatives if we were to be successful in  enhancing our relationship with the community that we serve. First, we had to  be firmly committed to creating a customer service culture. Our historical  culture had swung too far into the enforcement arena. Second, we needed to  accomplish this cultural transformation through initiatives grounded in  procedural justice and police legitimacy. I held meetings with my immediate  staff daily, the shift commanders monthly, and each of the shift commander’s  platoons quarterly, and I have meet with officers and sergeants on an  individual basis. These meetings have continued for the past two years. At each  of these meetings we emphasize what our “*why”* as the uniformed patrol division is—to serve. We identified one goal: Reducing  crime by providing “WOW service” while treating everyone with dignity and  respect. But make no mistake, our *why* is to serve. A key point needs to be stressed that our *why*—to serve—was not reserved for our external customers. As an  organization, we needed to improve our internal procedural justice and  legitimacy as well. And we made a conscious decision to improve service to our  employees internally in the same capacity that we asked them to improve service  with community members externally. This is one of the core elements of procedural  justice. We cannot build trust with those we serve if we are seen as an  occupying force controlling a geographical area. I have always felt that our  profession should take on the guardian servant mindset, rather than one of a  warrior. We need to demonstrate by our actions that we a part of the community,  a part of the neighborhood, and that we truly care about those that live there.  We needed to get back to face-to-face policing so that individual officers met  with individual resident in non-enforcement contacts. If there is a bond of  mutual trust, respect will be gained and legitimacy created.

*The how of wow—face-to-face  policing*

There  have been five significant initiatives implemented and emphasized over the past  two years to address procedural justice and legitimacy, which have all focused  on what I like to describe as “face-to-face policing:”
        - Walk and talk canvassing.  Operations  Division sergeants began this initiative in March 2014, and it has been  received so well internally that in January 2015 we added an officer to the  mix. I select a geographical area within our city wherein we have a sergeant  and an officer walk door-to-door for two blocks of a residential area meeting  the residents face to face. Our day-shift and night-shift participate in this  program, walking a total of four blocks per day. The geographical area is moved  every 7–10 shifts to a different part of our city. We completed walking the  entire residential area of our 25.11 square mile city in 15 months. In June  2015 we started all over again. Our goal is to complete it in 13 months this go  around!

It has allowed our officers to meet community members they  would not have had the opportunity to otherwise meet as most do not have  regular police interaction. It has demonstrated to the officers that there are  outstanding individuals living on every block within our city who appreciate  their efforts and our profession as a whole. There are incredible stories  relayed by officers and sergeants in regard to contacts and conversations they  have had with our residents. A suggestion from officers that we implemented was  creating a ‘door-hanger,’ printed in English and Spanish, if no one is home. We  leave the door-hanger that indicates we were in their neighborhood and ways  that they can follow up with us.

“*I met a 71 year-old female who had lived on  N. Church Street her whole life. She was able to tell me the entire evolution  of the neighborhood. She relayed how the police used to walk the neighborhood  in the 50s and 60s. She loves us. After about 30 minutes of talking on her  porch, she pointed out a drug house a block away. Last week we set up on it and  sure enough, we recovered crack cocaine and marijuana and made some arrests.*”  – eight-year veteran officer during a get-together in my office
        - Customer service  follow-ups.  Our  sergeants are expected to follow up on calls for service that officers assigned  to them have responded to. These follow-up contacts occur between 72 hours and  two weeks after the original call for service was received—no later. This  contact is to gauge the service that the officer provided the community member. Were  they treated with dignity and respect by our staff? This initiative began in  February 2014. For the first three months, we made contact with community members who  had called us for service. Then in May 2014, we requested that sergeants make  contact with community members who had been arrested by our officers. To date, we have  made contact with more than 500 community members, including more than 130 arrestees,  gauging our service to them. Our main emphasis on why we were making the  contact was asking the questions: Did we provide WOW service; did we go beyond  their expectations; and were community members treated with dignity and respect?

“*It has reinforced to me how much my officers  are doing. They are actually damn good! And it gives me the opportunity to  relay these stories back to them on how they treat people really is so powerful  in how we as officers are perceived.*” – 17-year veteran sergeant during  get-together in my office
        - Door-to-door specific  incident information.  Incidents that draw more than normal attention  within a residential area include multiple patrol units, lights and sirens,  foot chases, physical arrests, incidents involving use of force, incidents  involving community sensitivity, and finally, if your mother lived on the  block, would she want to know? All of these meet the criteria for this  initiative. This initiative began in January 2014. When something occurs that  officers or command staff feel residents should be informed about first-hand  from us, we engage in a door-to-door effort to inform people about what  occurred. We send multiple officers or sergeants to go door to door meeting  with the residents and explaining what occurred in their neighborhood. The  feedback from our community members has been tremendous. They have contacted  politicians, city hall leadership, and, again, created a positive buzz by  relaying the stories in-person and via social media.

*“We beat the press in getting information out to the  people that it matters most to. And we know the information we give them is  accurate. I love it!” –*22-year veteran sergeant during get-together in my  office
        - Downtown mall meet  and greets.  Our city is divided into seven geographical areas served by neighborhood public  safety stations. Our downtown area is like many others with well populated  residential apartments and lofts as well as businesses varying from  restaurants, night clubs, and apparel shops to a large upscale hotel. We have  an officer assigned to the downtown area 24/7. We were motivated to find a way  to provide WOW service to our business community in the same manner that we had  to a neighborhood with the walk-and-talk initiative. I analyzed our capacity  and decided that we would rotate an officer, for one hour each, from our  neighborhood stations to the downtown business district to be ambassadors of  our city while they are meeting and greeting business owners, employees,  visitors and residents who they make contact with. We began this program on May  1, 2015. It has been so well received by our officers and downtown community  that there is no plan to discontinue it.

“*I never knew how many people visited our  downtown. Every time I have had the chance to do the meet and greets, downtown  is so alive with people enjoying it. I also really like hearing how much we are  appreciated when I talk with the business owners and employees. Many of the  visitors comment that officers aren’t as friendly in their hometown. We must be  doing something right.”*– 7-year veteran officer during get-together in my  office
        - Empowered to serve.  Since  November 25, 2013, this message has been reinforced to officers and command officers  alike. They are empowered to serve. We trust their judgment. They will be  supported. Our officers and command officers have far exceeded all of our  initial expectations. The stories have been inconceivable at times and have  touched our hearts in emotional ways. Internally I have put the expectation to  the command staff in the Operations Division to recognize and praise officers  for their performance. We establish a daily activity report (DAR) for command  officers that mirror our internal expectations. In 2014, we issued 136 written  commendations. In the five years prior to that, the highest number awarded was  34. The past two years we have identified officers to receive the All-Star  Award, which is a city-wide award, for their efforts that were based on  service, procedural justice, and police legitimacy. 

*Conclusion: It  works*

Our  profession needs to return to face-to-face policing. Our profession needs to  re-commit to treating every single person, regardless of their lot in life,  with dignity and respect. This is not a program, not a fad, not a temporary  public relations gimmick. Our profession needs to better understand procedural  justice and police legitimacy if we are to continue being one of the noblest  professions that there is.

To  view stories from community members and officers, go to Downtown Kalamazoo Cops Facebook  page. 

For  further information, please contact Captain Jim Mallery by malleryj@kalamazoocity.org or by phone at  269-365-8391.

  James  P. Mallery, Captain of Operations, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety  in  collaboration with Melissa Bradley, COPS Office

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