Guest Opinion: SUSTAINABLE POLICE REFORMS, BUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST IS A PARTNERSHIP
Frank Fernandez - Special to The News-Press
Published 6:02am ET Sept. 4, 2020
The need for change and adaptation is not new for police officers today. For example, the school shooting at Columbine High School some twenty years ago led to a change in police response tactics. The 9/11 terrorist attacks led to improvements in intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination. As a result, many tragedies have been averted.
Yet more work remains to be done as we have seen from the tragic killings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School to the death of George Floyd. Law enforcement and our community partners must create guiding principles to ensure that those we serve are protected. Transparency and accountability are critical to our work, and how we build trust with those we serve.
Police work must be based on a clear understanding of the needs and demands of the residents. The Constitutional rights of every citizen must be preserved. In turn, our officers earn respect and are valued.
During my three decades in law enforcement — from beat cop to police chief across multiple departments — I have seen the best and worst in my profession. The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers are honest, dedicated public servants — willing to make the ultimate sacrifice as our oath requires.
In that spirit, I share that it is time to ask the public we serve some key questions: What’s working, what’s not, what needs to change? We must tackle these questions together. Police reforms should be based on specific needs of local communities, a common sense approach and good judgement.
Here are some steps we can take:
Gather Stakeholder Input: Bring people with diverse perspectives and have the candid conversations required to fully understand and answer the key questions.
Conduct Comprehensive Candidate Background Checks: If it starts wrong, it will end wrong. Applicants must be properly screened through advanced and rigorous procedures that cannot be compromised. Approved applicants should be reviewed by a diverse panel to ensure the hiring process is strictly followed. This is the most crucial point of a career in law enforcement.
Extend Basic Academy Training: It takes longer to become a cosmetologist in Florida than a law enforcement officer. Academy training must be extended to meet new and changing societal needs. Training must highlight the mission of public service. Officers have the role of guardians of justice, preservers of peace and protectors of life and property.
Conduct Regular Post-Academy Training: Ensure that officers are receiving continuous training to refocus their mindfulness, skills, and judgment. Training is a perishable skill that must be continuously polished. Iron sharpens iron.
Conduct Ongoing Policy Adherence Reviews: Police leadership must have robust and clear oversight measures to ensure that when the officer(s) makes a mistake, it is quickly identified and addressed through coaching, retraining and accountability. The absence of accountability places our Constitution at risk, our public at risk, our officers at risk and erodes trust.
In conclusion, my message to the honorable, dedicated officers that serve our communities today: stay focused and professional. You can be a change agent to address the systemic and underlying problems brought to light today. Make a positive difference in someone's life every day.
Frank G. Fernandez is the President of Blueprints 4 Safety (B4S) Strategies Group, LLC. located in Miami, Fla. An expert in police practices, he consults to the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. He has 30+ years of experience in law enforcement beginning with the Miami Police Department rising to the rank of Deputy Chief, then serving as Police Chief in Hollywood, Fla. He retired after serving as Public Safety Director and Assistant City Manager for Coral Gables, Fla.
