Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing – Principle #7

I am continuing my series of articles about Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing. 

Today, my focus is on Principle #7.

Principle #7

To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence. 

Even in 1829, a relationship with the public was essential for law enforcement officers to be successful. 

I’m not sure this concept was as understood back in the day as it is today.  In general, law enforcement was a thankless job that relied upon brute force to be effective.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am sure many police officers valued having a positive relationship with the community, but few likely understood how important that concept was at the time.

The sentiment expressed in this principle is probably one of the most famous of all of the principles espoused by Sir Robert Peel. 

Experienced law enforcement professionals have likely heard this phrase repeated many times.

The Police Are the Public

Before our society became so mobile, police officers lived in the communities where they served.  In other words, the police and the public were the same.  Of course, as modern roads and transportation improved, police officers moved farther away from the communities they served.

I’m not sure when this transition began to happen.  The move likely happened over time, slowly at first, but then gaining momentum over time. 

I’m sure there were many contributing factors to this change. 

The cost of housing, concern about the local school system, fear of being targeted as an officer, worry about responding to calls of their neighbors, and many other issues contributed to this transition.

Yet, few people would argue that a police officer living in the community where they work is of great benefit.  The police officer has ownership in what happens in the community, builds trust with fellow citizens, and quickly available in an emergency.

Residency Requirements

The 1970s saw a rise in residency requirements for public employees, particularly for police officers.  By 1980, nearly two-thirds of all municipal police departments serving populations larger than 250,000 had such laws. [i]

Over time, residency requirements were removed.  Some people even questioned whether police officers living in the cities they serve as necessary.

Communities United Against Police Brutality, which is an organization based in Minneapolis, made this observation, “Throughout our research, we have never encountered a shred of evidence that requiring or incentivizing police officers to live in the communities in which they work has any positive effect on the quality of policing.” [ii]

According to a report in 2017, only 8% of Minneapolis police officers live within the City. [iii]  Similar rates are prevalent in other cities across the nation.  About 15% of the Lansing Police Department officers live in the City, while the Ann Arbor Police Department has a residency rate of about 10% for police officers. [iv] 

Residency Challenges Today

Although there are many benefits when police officers are part of the community they serve, the challenges to make that happen today are significant.

The cost of housing in many cities far exceeds the ability of most police officers to afford it.  Additionally, broken school systems and the apprehension of being recognized as a police officer when off-duty has made living where you work less attractive.

A residency requirement is difficult because of the challenge today to recruit and retain quality staff.  According to the Detroit Police Chief James Craig, any residency requirement limits the qualified applicants’ pool. [v]

The City of Dunwoody and the Dunwoody Police Department took a different approach regarding residency requirements.  In 2009, the Dunwoody Police Department began operations and was interested in attracting high-quality officers.  One of the City’s benefits was a $300 housing stipend for police officers who chose to live in the City.

In the almost 12 years that have followed, the City has increased the housing stipend from $300 to the current amount of $700 a month.  As a result, approximately 35% of Dunwoody police officers live in the City.

Five of these officers own a house, and the remainder of them live in an apartment.  They are engaged in their community and are readily available in case of an emergency.

All of the department’s police officers have a take-home car, so the savings from having this many officers take advantage of the housing stipend is significant.

Having officers who live in the City where they serve and engage with their fellow citizens reflects the principle that Sir Robert Peel first penned in 1829; the police are the public.  

The Public Are the Police

The public are the police is the other side of the coin.  Police officers are paid to work as a police officer.  But according to Peel, citizens should also be engaged in what is best for the community welfare.

But what does this statement mean? 

Today, citizens can partner with their local police departments in various programs designed to help keep communities safe.

Neighborhood Watch Program

One of the more famous programs that involve citizens is the Neighborhood Watch program.  After a significant rise in crime in the 1960s, the National Sheriff’s Association created the National Neighborhood Watch in 1972. [vi]

After the National Sheriff’s Association initiated the Neighborhood Watch program, it spread across the country.  The Neighborhood Watch program is the largest and most successful citizen mobilization initiative ever introduced. 

For example, the Dunwoody Police Department has 76 different neighborhoods that participate in our Neighborhood Watch program.  Active members keep an eye on their community and call 9-1-1 when they see something suspicious. 

After all, the police can’t be everywhere.

In one Dunwoody neighborhood, a male walking into the backyard of a home sparked a call to 9-1-1.  After a lengthy foot chase through the area, the suspect was arrested and charged with attempted burglary. 

There is no doubt this arrest would not have happened without citizens’ participation in their community’s welfare, even though they aren’t getting paid for their service.

What a great example of Principle #7 at work!

Citizen Police Academy

Another critical program that provides citizens an opportunity to be engaged in their community and their police agency is the Citizen Police Academy.

The concept of a Citizen Police Academy developed in the United Kingdom and was viewed as a police night school for citizens. [vii]  The Orlando Police Department was the first police department to bring this concept to the United States in 1985, hosting the first-ever Citizen Police Academy.

Citizen Police Academies then spread across the country. 

Citizen Police Academies’ ultimate goal is to expand the police department’s eyes and ears by leveraging citizens’ participation and partnership with law enforcement to keep their communities safe.

Let’s be honest.  Police officers can only do so much when it comes to responding to calls and solving crime.  We need citizens who are actively involved with their local police department in partnership helping to solve crime.

Most police departments are understaffed and certainly can’t be everywhere all the time.  Therefore, we need our citizens to call 9-1-1 when they see something suspicious or out of the ordinary.

If You See Something Say Something

On the day after September 11, 2001, Allen Kay from New York jotted the phrase “If you see something, say something” down on an index card.  In 2002, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority adopted the phrase as a public cry to report suspicious packages. [viii]

In 2010, the US Department of Homeland Security launched a national campaign using the phrase to combat terrorism. [ix]  Eventually, “If you see something, say something” was adopted by many law enforcement agencies as a mechanism to encourage citizens to report any type of suspicious activity. 

A Broken Relationship

Although these programs and various others have made it easy for citizens to be involved, there is still a disconnect in many communities. 

The death of George Floyd in 2020 exposed a lack of trust in the police that is prevalent in far too many communities across the country.

This lack of trust has its roots in history.  Local law enforcement served as slave patrols, which were designed to capture runaway slaves.  In many cases, these patrols also meted out the punishment. [x]

In the 1960’s civil rights movement, the brutal activity and treatment of African Americans served to distance the police from people of color further. [xi] 

Then in 1991, the unjustified beating of Rodney King was captured on video for all to see.  To many African Americans, this video validated the historical idea that this is how the police treat minorities. [xii]  The not-guilty verdict against the officers confirmed the belief that the police could get away with anything.

This list of reasons for lack of trust between people of color and the police is certainly not meant to be an exhaustive list.  There are many reasons, and the issue is extremely complicated. 

However, most people agree that trust between the police and the community is essential.

Several studies reveal that an increase in trust between community members and the police result in an increase in cooperation.  Conversely, a lack of trust leads to a lack of cooperation from the community. [xiii] 

Of course, a lack of cooperation is the total opposite of what Sir Robert Peel was trying to accomplish with this principle.

Modern-Day Solution

A lot has been written about improving the relationship between the police and members of the community.  Academia, police professionals, and community activists all seem to have an opinion.

I don’t believe there is a silver bullet for this challenge.  In other words, I don’t think there is one solution to the problem.  Instead, I believe there should be a multi-prong approach to improve trust between the police and the community they serve, particularly with people of color.

In 2015, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) hosted one of their national meetings to bring together police leaders and community leaders to discuss building trust between the police and the community. [xiv]   

The meeting results provide a modern-day roadmap for the police to be the public and the public to be the police, working together in a high-trust environment.

PERF identified five recommendations.

1. Acknowledge and discuss with your community the challenges you are facing.

Having a dialogue to talk about important issues is critical.  There is a reason this recommendation is first.

Excessive use of force by a police officer in another agency far away can have repercussions locally even though the local agency was not involved.  These failures by law enforcement in one jurisdiction serve as a reminder of past treatment.

Law enforcement leaders have taken significant steps in recent years to acknowledge people of color’s historical mistreatment. 

For example, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) President Terry Cunningham delivered a powerful speech in 2016. He publicly recognized the documented unfair treatment of communities of color by law enforcement in the past. [xv]  President Cunningham apologized for this past treatment.

Similarly,  Chief Robert Murphy of the Montgomery Police Department apologized in 2013 to Congressman John Lewis for an attack on the Freedom Riders and John Lewis in 1961.  Chief Murphy even presented his badge to Congressman Lewis. [xvi]    

In 2017, Chief Lou Dekmar of the LaGrange Police Department delivered inspiring remarks at a gathering at Warren Temple United Methodist Church.  Chief Dekmar said, “As LaGrange police chief, I sincerely regret and denounce the role our police department played in Austin’s lynching, both through our action and inaction.  For that, I’m profoundly sorry.  It should never have happened.” [xvii]

Chief Dekmar’s remarks related to an arrest of a 16-year-old African American teenager in 1940.  A local lynch mob took Austin from the jail, and his body was found soon after, riddled with bullets.  LaGrange police officers did not stop the crowd, nor did they investigate Austin’s death.

I consider it a privilege that I was a member of the audience when Chief Dekmar delivered his comments that moved a community and a nation.   

2. Be transparent and accountable.

It can be challenging for police departments to be transparent because of a long history of believing that operating in secret was best.  There are certainly some investigations and various operations that you can’t be transparent about.  At the same time, though, most of the police department’s activities should be open and viewable by the public.

Providing as much information, to the extent possible, after a critical incident and having the department’s policies online are two examples of transparency.

When a police department operates transparently, it builds trust with the community.

Being accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) or being state certified demonstrates a department’s willingness to hold itself accountable.

Police departments should also investigate all complaints and take corrective action when officers violate established policies.

3. Take steps to reduce bias and improve cultural competency.

Law enforcement leaders must establish a culture where bias is unacceptable.  Having a policy prohibiting discrimination is an excellent place to start, but supervisors’ actions must reinforce the policy.

Holding staff members accountable when violating the policy sends a clear message that bias behavior will not be accepted.

Police departments and communities alike benefit from police officer training in implicit bias, recognizing that all people have biases, and understanding how to prevent those biases from influencing the decision-making process.

One widely available training class is Fair and Impartial Policing (FIP) training.  They provide implicit-bias-awareness training to law enforcement across the country. [xviii]

4. Maintain focus on the importance of collaboration, and be visible in the community.

The police must interact with the community outside of responding to calls for service and enforcement situations.  There must be opportunities to develop relationships, gain understanding, and build trust between the police and the community.

Relationship building happens on a micro-level when a police officer and citizen have a positive interaction.

Neighborhood watch, citizen police academies, police athletic leagues, citizen ride-alongs, town hall meetings, and community forums are just a few examples of relationship-building opportunities.

5. Promote internal diversity and ensure professional growth opportunities.

Police agencies must seek a diverse workforce that reflects the community served by the department.  Of course, a diverse workforce doesn’t necessarily ensure citizens’ fair treatment, but it does lay the foundation for improved relationships.

The organization’s overall diversity should also be reflected in who is chosen for specialized assignments and promoted.

All too often, police agencies fail to acknowledge the value of their staff and ignore their professional growth.

One of my past mentors, Chief Bobby Moody of the Marietta Police Department, had a great philosophy about developing your people.

In Chief Moody’s view, a typical police officer focuses 100% of their efforts on their professional growth and advancement.  Once promoted to Sergeant, the focus changes to 75% on their own development and 25% on their staff’s development.

This shift in focus continues changing until the officer is appointed or elected as a police chief or sheriff.  The chief executive focuses 100% of his or her energy on the professional development of the staff. 

When police officers feel valued internally and believe they are being treated fairly, they are much more likely to treat the citizens they come in contact with fairly. 

Following these five PERF suggestions may not contain all of the ingredients needed for trust to be entirely restored in every community, but it is undoubtedly a good start.

Final Thoughts

Trust between the police and the community has never been more critical than it is today. 

Law enforcement leaders are struggling with recruiting and retaining police officers.  The pool of candidates interested in policing as a profession has drastically declined of late.  Current police officers are leaving the job in record numbers.

A lot of these challenges can be traced to the negative perception of the police that emerged so strongly in 2020.  The negative portrayal of police by the media and social media caused many officers to question their profession.

Of course, the many public failures by some police officers have grabbed the public’s attention more so than any other time in recent history.  The video of these incidents serves as a public reminder of a broken system. 

Despite all of these challenges, there is hope.

Police departments and police officers can be brought together with the communities and citizens they serve if citizens and police officers intentionally want a better relationship.  Of course, being open and willing to listen is an essential part of relationship building. 

A community where trust exists between the police and the citizens they serve will likely exhibit the principle of “the police are the public, and the public are the police.”

Relationship building is a must.

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[i] https://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/dps/pdfs/dp63680.pdf

[ii] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/13/police-residency-data/5327640002/

[iii] https://www.startribune.com/few-minneapolis-cops-live-inside-city-limits/441581413/

[iv] https://www.crainsdetroit.com/crains-forum/reexamining-residency-rules-detroit-police-officers

[v] https://www.crainsdetroit.com/crains-forum/reexamining-residency-rules-detroit-police-officers

[vi] https://www.nnw.org/what-neighborhood-watch

[vii] https://www.tompsc.com/177/Citizen-Police-Academy#:~:text=History%20of%20the%20Citizen%20Police%20Academy&text=It%20began%20in%20the%20Devon,the%20City%20of%20Exeter%2C%20England.&text=In%201985%2C%20the%20Orlando%2C%20Florida,CPA)%20in%20the%20United%20States.

[viii] https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/09/23/how-if-you-see-something-say-something-became-our-national-motto/

[ix] https://www.dhs.gov/publication/if-you-see-something-say-something%E2%84%A2-campaign-overview

[x] https://www.policefoundation.org/law-enforcement-must-regain-the-publics-trust/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAyJOBBhDCARIsAJG2h5erW1gLLpum_ovQZ6FdY9JrUKCShZ42zwumxPajssk75UdVYhZYNgcaAjEkEALw_wcB

[xi] Ibid

[xii] Ibid

[xiii] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brick-brick/201409/what-happens-when-we-dont-trust-law-enforcement-0

[xiv] https://www.justice.gov/crs/file/836486/download

[xv] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/18/498380373/head-of-police-chiefs-group-apologizes-for-historical-mistreatment-of-minorities

[xvi] https://www.officer.com/home/news/10891220/montgomery-alabama-police-chief-lauded-for-apology-giving-badge

[xvii] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/27/512036362/in-apology-for-decades-old-lynching-police-chief-aims-to-interrupt-the-past

[xviii] https://fipolicing.com/