Читать книгу Police in America - Steven G. Brandl - Страница 93

Warriors Versus Guardians

The quasi-military operations of police departments have the potential to create negative images of the police and, as such, can have negative effects on police-community relations. This is particularly the case when the police are dressed in military fatigues, armed with rifles, and deployed in armored vehicles to deal with citizen protests and riots. While such deployments may be warranted, the police need to be mindful of lessons learned during the riotous 1960s when the police became viewed as “an occupying army” in urban ghettos, which further strained police-minority relations. Especially important is that the “warrior” mindset not permeate the approach taken by officers during their more routine interactions with citizens. After all, if officers are at war, who then is the enemy? Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Executive Director Sue Rahr and former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey have suggested that the culture of police agencies needs to be transformed to reflect more of a “guardian” approach so that officers can more fully appreciate the value and importance of showing respect to the citizens they serve.⁶