Guns and Gangs: the Crisis in American Policing
The Police in the USA appear to be undergoing a crisis of confidence which has seen the death of George Floyd trigger a wave of anti-Police sentiment and calls to defund whole services.
For the record that was manslaughter- the non deliberate killing of someone by their action or lack of (A form of Murder by American legal definition), and a totally atrocious piece of Policing by all at the scene: positional asphyixia has been understood and taught to Police for 30 years without adding a knee to the neck.
The Police response to the Black Lives Matters demonstrations, and in places Riots that followed only served to further polarise opinion against them in many areas as exemplified by the 75yr old man pushed over in New York. As an ex-Police officer from the UK, I have both been shocked by these scenes and yet unsurprised by many of the Police actions seen on the mainstream media as a response to these events. What does appear to be happening is that wherever the Police have approached incidents in a ‘Us v Them’ attitude things have got ugly, and where Police have come alongside protesters the outcome has been much better and indeed peaceful (not including the absurd abandonment of areas in Seattle to a mob). Admittedly these are my views based on the limited visuals available on the mainstream media and internet, and there has no doubt been unpardonable rioting despite good Policing. What no one seems to be recognising is that the fundamental flaw in American Policing is not new, but merely ensuring that it continues to struggle and indeed falter in days of high emotion — that flaw is the GUN.
In the UK the number of officers issued with firearms is very small. This of course does not mean that violence by or against the Police is less; merely that the results of it are much less likely to be fatal for either participant in an arrest. Indeed the number of firearms carried by the UK Police has increased due to the threat of Terrorism over the last decade or two. 25 years ago the only weapon the Police carried was a wooden club so it still seems weird to see officers routinely carrying firearms on the streets of some of our cities. Those officers that do are given very intense training, physcological screening prior to issue and regular ongoing training after qualification. Despite the increased threat to the public the calls to arm all Police officers continues to be robustly opposed by the public and the majority of the Police. Why, you might ask is this the case?
While violence involving the Police might make the news and be staple fodder for Hollywood, the vast majority of Policing is done with conversation and negotiation both in the USA and UK. As an officer in the UK If you don’t have the ability to settle conflict with weapons then you are automatically limited to negotiation on many more if not most occasions. I managed to quite ably arrest a number of ‘dangerous’ criminals without so much as a wrestling match including the leader of a Soccer Hooligan Gang — the ‘Subway Army’ who came into custody without even needing handcuffs, purely because I could talk to people calmly and politely (and didn’t really enjoy violence which also helped). The reality is that as soon as you have a gun on your belt as a Police officer your options for dealing with situations become much more restricted and risky. For a start you cannot approach someone who could be a risk and have a reasonable conversation; you have to stand at a range where they cannot lunge and grab your weapon. This immediately leads to raised voices and a more directed conversation. The sad death of Daniel Shaver in 2016 is a good example and one that would not have lead to his death in the UK. It also means that you are much more likely to put a suspect into handcuffs earlier in the scenario in order to safeguard yourself, but of course the threat and reality of this further heightens tensions. In the UK the Police can approach up to arms length from someone to engage them, and yes they could get physically assaulted but are in a much better place to use the most effective conflict resolver — their mouths without shouting orders, and in a calm and measured way. In the US you already have the means to win every argument on your belt so it’s more likely you approach every situation with a different mindset — ‘do as I say or I can make you’. This approach makes you more likely to get into conflict not less. A small number of my old colleagues would frequently get into violent confrontations, not because of the people that they were arresting, but due to their attitudes towards people and affinity with violence, unsurprisingly they also had the most complaints made about them. I’m quite sure that given firearms they would also have been the first to be pulling the triggers; thank God that’s not happened in the UK but you can imagine how similarly driven officers in the USA are not only predisposed to use force but have the ability to make that force deadly and indeed are trained to do so.
Room for all sorts?
Don’t get me wrong there is a time for Police officers to use force and on the occasions when I did get into a tough spot I was glad to have those alongside me who were both adept and happy to use it. Back in the late 2000’s in the UK Cities, it was all about deploying the right resources to the right job. Sadly Policing has changed over the years and now Police officers are meant to be good at everything they do. The rural Police services have had to face this for years; you can’t get into a fight if the nearest back up is 40 minutes away! Having a game changer like a firearm changes all of this — even the weakest most ineffective communicator has the capacity to ‘win’ every time without negotiation, but this just leads to Police forces being much less demanding in their selection process. What this should actually point to is a need for really good recruiting and training. It looks pretty clear that there is a lack of this in many parts of the US, and the training that officers do get will no doubt focus on how to wield a weapon, and how to not end up getting shot with it yourself. When this is seen as one of the most important skills, the chances are that those that lack the ability or motivation to talk will turn to their gun quicker than they perhaps ought. I hear many US Forces veterans bemoaning the state of firearms skills displayed by their Police forces so it’s almost certainly true that even after qualification the ongoing skills to deploy weapons and make good decisions when doing so is also lacking. Sadly, that most important skill of being able to talk to someone is rarely assessed by recruiters and never trained. The poor wages now offered by most Police forces just discourages more mature or highly educated applicants from applying. Diplomacy and verbal communication skills which are learnt with experience are much less likely to be on display further compounding the problem.
Good Gang v Bad Gang
All Policing is ultimately by consent as has been shown over these last few weeks. Where groups refuse to give their consent to be Policed what follows is conflict and at times like this the Police respond as they traditionally do — ‘we have a bigger and better equipped gang than you so we will exert our will to end this conflict’. I saw this happen time and again in the city I worked in. I’ll be honest in saying that when you were the one who was a target of the conflict it felt good to have that gang on your side. However, whenever this happens the reality is that the Police have already lost. They may well win that fight, but they pile yet another straw onto the camel of public relations. You just cannot look good using force against civilians — even the violent variety. Futhermore, it entrenches the good v evil, us v them narrative that is often part of any tight team which is up against the ropes. This just ensures that the next conflict will likely head in the same direction as both public and Police act out there beliefs about the other.
The worrying and unhelpful signs of militarisation
It’s amazing the difference that health and safety can make. In the UK the move away from traditional uniforms — smart shirts, ties and trousers was precipitated by the move for officers to wear clothes that were more practical, could be worn under stab proof vests and didn't look crazy with loaded utility belts. This transitioned into a much more militaristic look. In the USA where officers often have even more equipment and potentially automatic weapons the need for practical clothing inevitably meant more military style uniforms. The negative messages that this sends to the public should not be underestimated. At a time when many people feel ‘done to’ by the Police the issuing of blatant military uniforms exemplified in the photo above re-enforces the narrative and attitude that the Police are seeking to ‘force’ you to obey the law. As stated above when consent is required for effective Policing anytime you act like the playground bully you are eroding your ability to do your day job.
It’s not clear what is driving this — perhaps just a huge amount of surplus kit due to the continuous war against terror, but someone in authority needs to call a halt to it and bring back the behaviours that had most of the neighbourhood rooting for the Police not throwing stones.
Time to change?
Good Policing is an art form that requires patience and skill to do well. The possession of a gun makes it more like colouring by numbers. While I sadly cannot see a way back for the USA in terms of getting rid of guns, it is not too late for them to tackle the issues with recruitment and training which will make those guns less likely to be used. Doing this would make the world a safer place for both officers and public alike.
PS: To my brothers and sisters in uniform. I salute you. Your job is one of the hardest on the planet to perform well, and yet many of you do. I am sure that this is an awful time to be a Police Officer in the USA and this is not meant to slight you for a minute, but it is a call to reflect on the values that you held and reasons that you signed up. Do you still hold them now? If not it’s time for you to join in the call for change.