Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing – Principle #2

If you missed my first post related to Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing, click here to read my introduction to the topic and discussion of Principle #1.

Today, my focus is on Principle #2.

Principle #2

To recognise always that the power of the police to fulfil their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions, and behavior and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect. 

From a legal perspective, law enforcement’s power is derived from local, state or federal laws that establish a law enforcement agencies ability to conduct law enforcement functions on behalf of the governmental entity where they are located.

However, true power comes from the people.

Sir Robert Peel recognized this truth way back in 1829 with this principle.  If a law enforcement agency operates in a way that is contrary to the values of the community, the power given to the department by the government can be revoked.

On June 17, 2010, the Maywood-Cudahy Police Department was disbanded after years of failures.  The California attorney general’s office concluded that the department was “permeated with sexual innuendo, harassment, vulgarity, discourtesy to members of the public as well as among officers, and had a lack of cultural, racial and ethnic sensitivity and respect.”[i]

Also, citizens were routinely victims of excessive force, were arrested without probable cause and had their complaints fall on deaf ears.

Although there was significant public pressure put on the government to reform the department, ultimately that reformation failed, and the department was disbanded.

The Maywood-Cudahy Police Department is just one example of many similar occurrences throughout the United States where the public’s power, given to a local law enforcement agency, has been revoked.

I had a similar but different experience of the people exercising this power.

Dunwoody Experience

The City of Dunwoody incorporated on December 1, 2008.  The City Manager hired me as the first police chief on December 17, 2008, and the Dunwoody Police Department hit the streets for the first time on April 1, 2009.

The formation of the City of Dunwoody happened because the citizens of Dunwoody were unhappy with the type and level of service they were receiving from DeKalb County.  There were concerns about the zoning being allowed as well as the amount of money spent in Dunwoody for infrastructure improvements.

Another concern related to our discussion was the lack of services provided by the DeKalb County Police Department.  Although the DeKalb County Police Department had one of their precincts in Dunwoody, most of the staff assigned to this precinct spent the majority of their time outside Dunwoody.  As a result, Dunwoody had a minimal number of officers working in the city at any given time.

Again, the people of this community exercised their power to change the department providing police services to them with their vote. 

Respect for the Police

Law enforcement cannot do their job without the respect of the community they serve.  Most importantly, law enforcement cannot do their job effectively without the respect of the community they serve. 

Over the years, current events drove respect for law enforcement up and down.  The Rodney King incident reduced the respect for law enforcement across the country, while law enforcement’s response to 9/11 had the opposite effect.

Of late, Ferguson and its aftermath drove respect for law enforcement down across our country. 

Let me explain that statement.

The incident in Ferguson, coupled with many other incidents across the country which were magnified by the use of social media and the prevalence of video, drove respect for law enforcement down to historic lows.

Even though most law enforcement agencies in the country have not experienced a controversial incident, they were nevertheless affected by them.   

Also, treating others with respect has generally declined over the last 20 years.  Students talk back to teachers regularly.  Teenagers ignore their parent’s wishes, and people routinely treat each other with disrespect, which makes respect a rare commodity.

Generally speaking, a small segment of our society believes it is ok to treat police officers with total disrespect to the point of attacking them. A good example of this lack of respect is the recent incidents where NYPD officers were doused with water. Sadly, they felt like they couldn’t even respond to this assault.

Unfortunately, the focus of this article doesn’t allow a full discussion about the general lack of respect in our society. Instead, the focus is on what we can do in law enforcement to maintain respect.

Still, respect is the lubricant that keeps the relationship between the police and the community running smoothly.

Survey About Respect

In 2016, Gallup asked the questions, “How much respect do you have for the police in your area – a great deal, some or hardly any?”[ii]  Gallup has asked this question nine times since 1965.

76% of respondents replied they have a great deal of respect for the police.  The only higher response was 77% recorded in 1967.  Only 7% of respondents said they have hardly any respect for the police.[iii]

Surprisingly, respect for the police from non-whites is up sharply at 67% compared to just 53% in 2015.  Respect of police by non-whites is at historic highs.

It is too early to say if this increase in respect can be sustained or the reasons for the sharp increase.  Still, there is some speculation that suggests the increase in respect may have been in response to several high profile ambush shootings of police officers across the country.[iv]

Right now, no data is supporting this conclusion, but it certainly seems to be a reasonable conclusion.

Lessons for Today

Although the job of a police officer has always been difficult, serving today has to be one of the most challenging times in history.  Crime has shifted from a known offender to an unknown offender.  Violent crime is down, but cybercrime, identity theft, and bullying have accelerated of late.

Terrorism, homelessness, mental health crisis, human trafficking are all part of a police officer’s lexicon today. 

Almost every moment of a police officer’s day is filmed. As a result, people on social media uses a small fraction of negative encounters as a weapon to attack law enforcement daily.

It’s little wonder that the relationship between the police and some communities is strained.  The complicated and changing patterns of crime, combined with the speed of social media, has created barriers to that positive relationship between the police and the community they serve desperately needed everywhere.    

Certainly, many police departments have a great relationship with their community, but in others, that positive relationship remains an elusive goal.

Respect can bridge the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Each call for service provides an opportunity to make a positive or negative impression on the person a police officer interacts with.   

Conclusion

Communities can withdraw the power given to law enforcement just as quickly as it they give it if the actions and behavior of the police officers serving the community exhibit a pattern of disrespect.

In 1829, treating citizens with disrespect carried little weight outside of the circle of acquaintances of the citizen disrespected.  If someone was treated bad enough, there might be an article in the local newspaper.

On the other hand, that is not so today.

A negative encounter between a police officer and a citizen, within seconds, can be broadcast across the world.   Treating a citizen with disrespect, or maybe something even worse will influence and transform their view of law enforcement and can erase the many positive encounters with the police that happen daily. 

Law enforcement must treat those they serve with respect at all times.  Citizens will reward this respect with the support and approval of your actions, behaviors, and mission.     

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[i] https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2010-jun-17-la-me-maywood-pd-20100617-story.html

[ii] https://news.gallup.com/poll/196610/americans-respect-police-surges.aspx?g_source=Politics&g_medium=newsfeed&g_campaign=tiles

[iii] ibid

[iv] ibid