- The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department: Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles
        - Police Reform vs. Policing Reform 
        - INTERPOL Washington Launches Notice Request Service

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### Police Reform vs. Policing Reform

Dear colleagues, 

Policing in the United States is unique in that it  is neither centralized, as is the case in many countries, nor does it fall  under the direct control of the Federal Government. Each of the approximately  18,000 local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the nation falls  under the control of a local governing body, executive, or elected official(s).  Local control is arguably one of the key characteristics that makes the  American policing system unique. It is also the characteristic that presents the  greatest challenge to establishing standardized ethical and professional  practices within a system few deny is in need of reform. 

     Yet the discussion of police reform seems to focus  primarily on individual officer behavior and ignores the operational systems  that have an even greater impact on policing outcomes. The great management  guru William Edward Deming captured this notion through his 85/15 rule, which  says that 85 percent of the problems in any organization are system-related  while only 15 percent are worker-related. 

     Rank-and-file officers do not decide organizational  policies and practices. Nor do officers establish hiring standards or have the  power to administer discipline. They also do not decide whether an agency  embraces crime-reduction strategies that result in racial disparities. Yet when  disparities or other systemic problems do occur, rank-and-file officers are  quickly demonized and blamed for those outcomes. 

There is no question that  rank-and-file officers must be held accountable for their actions. However, if  the systems in which they operate are flawed, even good officers can have bad  outcomes.      If we are to achieve real and sustainable reform in  law enforcement, our focus must shift from the police (those individuals sworn  to uphold the law) to policing systems (the policies, practices, and culture of  police organizations). And through reform, our policing systems must identify  not just the roles and responsibilities of the police but the roles and  responsibilities of the community as well. After all, communities are a vital  part of the policing system. In the words of Sir Robert Peel, the founder of  modern law enforcement, “The police are the public and the public are the  police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full  time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests  of community welfare and existence.” 

     To separate the community from the policing system  is akin to separating patients from the health care system or students from the  education system. Indeed, even the best teacher cannot help a student who  refuses to study. Nor can a doctor cure a patient who refuses to take  prescribed medication or to follow the doctor’s orders. The same applies to  policing. The level of community involvement in the policing system and the  level of personal responsibility each community member assumes by cooperating  or collaborating with the police greatly impact the outcome of the system.  Focusing on the policing system does not ignore or excuse the misconduct of  individual police officers. To the contrary, the stronger the policing system,  the more likely bad officers will be identified and removed from service. The  stronger the policing system, the more likely the culture of police organizations  will reject officer misconduct and embrace accountability and transparency. And  the stronger the policing system, the more likely recruitment and hiring  practices will focus not only on hiring diverse, qualified candidates who  reflect the communities they serve but also on hiring candidates who see  themselves as members of that community. 

     As a veteran police officer with almost 30 years of  experience serving communities in Oakland and East Palo Alto, California, I  feel optimistic about the future of the American policing system. 

     The reason I have faith in a positive future for  American policing, even amid a growing chasm of distrust between the police and  many communities, is that I see firsthand the outstanding work the vast  majority of dedicated men and women in law enforcement do every day. I see them  take great efforts to identify the best ways to serve their communities. And I  see evidence that many communities, even those that feel the most  disenfranchised, yearn for a stronger relationship with the police. People in  neighborhoods all across the country are working diligently and in  collaboration with the police to make sure their communities are treated fairly  not only by the law enforcement officials who are sworn to serve and protect  them but also by the policing systems in which those officers operate. 

     We are at a defining moment in American policing  history. Our collective efforts to meet the challenges we have faced over the  past few years have opened a unique but very small window of opportunity—a  window through which both police and the communities they serve see the need  for policing reform and recognize the necessity of working together to achieve  success. 

     The Final Report of the President's Task Force on  21st Century Policing provides a roadmap for this reform. The task force report  outlines 59 recommendations that, when implemented, will result in positive  changes in the American policing system and organizational transformation  within individual law enforcement agencies. 

     It is my hope that law enforcement officials across  the country not only will read the task force report but will also use its  insights, information, and recommendations to reform the policing systems in  their own departments. 

     Let’s not waste this unique opportunity on bickering  and finger pointing. Instead, let’s forge ahead together to reform the American  policing system to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Affecting change is  never easy, but as President John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life.  And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” 

Sincerly,    Ronald L. Davis  Director

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The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department: Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles | Police Reform vs. Policing Reform | INTERPOL Washington Launches Notice Request Service | 

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