Culture change is the key to successful Police Reform

The article (See the article here) in the Guardian on 4 March 2021 entitled “US House passes most ambitious police reform effort in decades” outlines the key elements of “ H.R.7120 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020” which would ban chokeholds and “qualified immunity” for law enforcement and create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability.

Of course the bill has passed the House and still has to clear the significant hurdle of the Senate.

Assuming that the bill is passed by the Senate and actually ends up on the President’s desk it will certainly go some way towards creating a policing environment in which fewer interactions between police and citizens would end in tragedy, injury and death.

This, however, is only part of the story. The legislation will establish the framework for holding police officers accountable for their actions, and create a system for officers to follow that will result in fewer interactions that result in physical force and violence being employed. What the legislation does not appear to do is address the fundamental cultural issues that have led to the current situation in which policing in the United States finds itself.

The bottom line is in fact culture. Reform of tactics, frameworks, and practices is an excellent first stem, but it needs to be underscored by a review and overhaul of policing culture. Policing needs to transform from a confrontational and enforcement based activity to a cooperative and compliance-based activity.

If policing management is serious about engaging with their communities in a way that builds trust, consent and compliance, it is essential that they start by redefining the fundamentals of policing culture within their organisation.

This is not an easy or simple process by any means. It is helpful to have a guide who has already gone through the experience and who can point out the challenges and pitfalls, and who also understands what success actually looks like. Themis Group is an organisation which has just such expertise and we would be delighted to help police organisations who see the future as one where community consent, cooperation and compliance are the hallmarks of a successful police/community relationship.

If you are interested please feel free to contact us