Policing in the New Year
By Albert B. Kelly
The end of one year and the beginning of another is the
perfect time to pause and take stock of things, to measure what type of
progress, if any, you’ve made over the previous 12 months and to look forward
to what you hope to accomplish in the months to come. The end of 2017 is just
such a moment for me and while there are many areas ripe for consideration, I’m
thinking now about crime and specifically anti-crime efforts.
Despite what some might say, whether in Washington DC or in
the next town over, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are no quick or easy
answers to addressing crime nor are there “magic solutions” when putting
together an anti-crime strategy. If we’re going to be honest, there are many
overlapping issues and circumstances that feed the problem and this
necessitates a multi-track approach.
One immediate concern that gets the bulk of my attention is
in the area of hiring, including the ongoing replacement of police officers
leaving the department for various reasons- whether retirement or job
opportunities elsewhere. Police Chief Gaimari has been very proactive in this
regard because in addition to keeping adequate staffing for the community, it
impacts the level of State assistance, which in turn impacts other key programs
such as PAL and the Police Explorer Program that focuses on our young people.
Beyond just numbers, these efforts emphasize hiring a diverse
police force in light of the fact that we have a diverse city and efforts also
include an emphasis on our Hispanic community, who get victimized heavily according
to the Police Department’s analysis at upwards of 40%. Efforts feature outreach
to high schools and job fairs for recruitment, highlighting opportunities for
Class I and Class II officers that help augment the type and level of service in
the community.
Not for nothing- but under Chief Gaimari’s leadership,
walking patrols have been increased over the past several years from an average
of 248 per month to an average of 460 per month and bike patrols, which were
active to a great degree this past summer, will be active again in spring when
the warmer weather returns. It’s these strategies, along with the creation of a
mobile police substation, that are part of a multi-track anti-crime approach.
The Mobile Police Substation has been effective when out on
the street and it has discouraged various types of activity not only when
physically present, but at other times as well for the simple reason that those
who are intent on breaking the law have no idea when or where the mobile
substation will pop up whether in the Milltown neighborhood, Cohansey View
neighborhood, or Southeast Gateway neighborhood. And while the mobile
substation might not be out and about every day, it’s the element of surprise
that makes its use effective.
No less important are relationships with residents of the
Bridgeton community- young and the not-so-young. Toward that end, officers and residents have been enthusiastic
about programs such as Play Streets, Police Athletic League, Coffee with a Cop,
and Lunch with a Cop which are extremely well-received by the children, and
perhaps more so by the officers themselves. This may not seem like much, but it
is part of building the currency that fosters understanding and trust- which is
always necessary.
Our Police Chaplains program has been successful and even as
we speak, discussions are underway to increase the number of police chaplains
and use them in more creative ways to empower citizens and to give them an
additional vehicle to be heard regardless of language or nationality. This goes
hand-in-hand with our Citizen’s Police Academy and quite frankly, we are
hopeful of increasing the number citizens participating in the academy program
in 2018 because knowledge is power.
Other important areas of focus will be increased “Use of
Force De-Escalation Training”, utilizing the Station House Adjustment program,
and possibly creating a Youth Court to deal with young offenders encountering
the system for the first time. The focus here is on accountability,
responsibility, and restorative justice- all things that are important to young
lives.
There’s always more work to do and that’s not stated by way
of complaint, but as an acknowledgement that this work is ongoing,
multi-faceted, and of the highest priority to us as the focus shifts toward the
future. The change we seek won’t happen overnight, but our progress is steady
with more to come in 2018.