‘The Plan’-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Roadmap To Redemption

Posted on by Tonya R

On December 30, 2015 Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel outlined ‘The Plan’ or action steps to address the most recent issues with police officer shootings that have been plaguing his city’s reputation, and relationship with its citizens since the shooting death of  17 year old Laquan McDonald, with video of the incident released more than a year after the fatal shooting occurred. CNN reported Chicago Officer Van Dyke was charged with first degree murder, after shooting the teen a reported 16 times. As citizens, we respect our law enforcement, and can only imagine the day to day stresses that come with the position of serving their community. With that respect comes a resonable expectation that all officers are being trained and held accountable to serve and protect its citizens, consistently and without malice.

The plan outlines the following as reported by MSNBC:

  • Emphasize de-escalation techniques during confrontations
  • Use least amount of force necessary
  • Improve communication between officers and suspects during confrontations
  • Double the number of officers with Tasers from 700 to 1,400 by June 2016

It is nice to finally see a documented plan of action that includes a start date for some items. However, one has to wonder why this list was not a standard policy for all law enforcement agencies. The list represents common sense approaches that citizens have been presenting for quite some time. A detail of the bullet points will be helpful to understand impact. For example, what is the definition of  the ‘Least Amount of Force’. Moreover, should a few key items be added:

  • Start with the ‘Hiring Process’. Are the right men/women being hired for the job? Have specific attributes been discussed and proven, that includes mental fortitude to cope with the stresses and sensitivities of such a position, and background checks that directly support the requirement?
  • What will the training entail? Does it directly support ‘The Plan’? Does it include Diversity Training?
  • Is there a process to ‘Inspect What You Expect’? Will there be quarterly, semi-annual, or annual performance reviews conducted for field officers, that detail specific issues or concerns that require escalation, and/or monitoring for development or dismissal from the force or position? Has an initial list of what constitutes serious concerns been outlined?
  • Special officers that are trained to respond to domestic disputes, that may include a mentally ill family member.
  • Community Forums, that offer Mothers, Fathers, Aunts, Uncles, etc. the opportunity to weigh in and/or understand what to expect from ‘The Plan’.
  • Are new officers being assigned mentors with a clean track record for support and guidance within the first 90 days or so?
  • Are best practices in other states being considered for use?
I have personally attended the ‘Cops and Coffee’ discussions in my city to ask direct questions of officers that support our community, and understand their thoughts and feelings about the relationship between officers and citizens across the country. The officers were very candid and open. I posed the question to an officer as to why we are encountering so many incidents with aggression of officers towards citizens. Their response, “Fear”. The response took me aback. How do you address ‘Fear’. So, I get improving communications, but my follow-up question was related to diversity training to start that de-escalation process. Not ‘Corporate Speak’, but a program that offers a true insight into cultural components, that are not specific to black and white, but our young generation’s engagement process. Perhaps understanding the expression of the language of today’s youth will promote strength of mind and duty to stand with professional courage, that will discount feelings of being disrespected, offended, or fearful of stereotypes that may trigger a hasty response.  Community leaders, parents, aunts, uncles, will continue to teach respect towards officers and be clear about what that looks like. Law enforcement will have a definition of respect for their citizens and what that looks like. Mutual understanding of respect and trust amongst law enforcement and citizens is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Definition of the ‘The Plan’s’ success must be clear to all to be trusted.

Citizens understand there is no singular solution to address the relationship challenges across our nation between community and law enforcement, nor an immediate resolution. Perhaps working together as a community of ideas and solutions will begin laying the foundation for trust and healing.

—Expressyourselfblog