The Police and the Public: Stop the Madness

The Police and the Public

Stop the Madness

Stephen M. Ziman

Copyright © 2021 Stephen M. Ziman

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2021

Verse on cover reference

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN 978-1-63710-961-8 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63985-543-8 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63710-962-5 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Redefining Police Power

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

One in the Community

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

What They Don't Teach at the Academy

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

We Are Only Human

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A Revelation: How and Why, with a Plea to Understand

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

What It Means to Be a Police Officer

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Truth or Consequences

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Success with the Use of Power (More than Words)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Real Expectations

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Communication

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Vehicle Stops

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Crisis Intervention

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Mental Health

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Report Writing

About the Author

To my wonderful wife, Debbie,

for her encouragement and seeds of support.

And to my friend Barbie Barnett,

For her assistance in this endeavor.

Thank you!

Preface

This entire book explores the basic meaning of police power and how it must be redefined. I am here to tell you that you are going to be a leader in your community. It begins with the realization that there is an effective and efficient use of power when we recognize who we are, how we treat people, and what our professional goals are. You are going to influence your department, your community, and the world with this information. I am sharing very practical insights gained from years of being a citizen, police officer, police supervisor, police administrator, and associate professor of criminal justice.

I will reveal how you, your fellow police officers, and the community can bring experience, knowledge, and control of emotions to every one of your interactions. Police officers cannot have preconceived notions about a call for service (that moment of truth); instead, they should be dedicated to resolving issues, recognizing that it is a two-way street. The community also has the responsibility of treating the police with respect. Recognize that law enforcement has a very difficult job in defending others' rights to exist. (Albeit nothing works perfectly.) Mistakes are made, and foolish stereotyping destroys relations. Labeling only creates more division. The wrongful loss of one community member does not justify the destruction of a community and the continued deaths of its members. Not all police officers are bad—just like not all in the community are bad. Law enforcement and the community both have the same inalienable rights, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The police cannot be separate from the community, because they are part of the community. Together, we are one. We are one.

This book builds upon the very knowledge of police power. When this power is recognized, it accomplishes a successful police-citizen exchange. This will examine the relationship between the police and the community, the fact that we are only human and, unfortunately, are not guided by instinct. Therefore, when we remove ignorance and provide knowledge, we redefine police power—it is finding the missing link. We must understand who we are as individuals and learn how to treat one another within the community, serving each one. It is this self-awareness, and recognizing the power of emotions and following the golden rule, that defines police power. This knowledge will reduce complaints, overtime, court appearances, lawsuits, injuries, and even public and police fatalities. Then with this understanding, and only then, you can become the leader all communities and police departments need.

Introduction

It's the year 2022, and things haven't changed since the major police-citizen confrontations of the 1960s. Conflagrations among cities, looting, property damage, injuries, and even deaths of the innocent, both citizens and police officers. Apparently an an eye for an eye mentality, regardless of the victim's innocence or guilt, that has been taking place for the past sixty years. I can list many events in which there were grievous acts by the police and also grievous acts against the police. But I'm not going to. There has to be an end to unnecessary violence during police-citizen contact. It may seem a lot easier for a citizen to agree to, but the police still have to tolerate and interact with violent criminals, drug dealers, child molesters, the mentally ill, sex traders, and the habitual defiance and resistance of those that don't want to go to jail.

Society has changed in the past years, thus increasing more stringent requirements for the police, and I hope that I can help in a manner that doesn't offend either side of the issue, in order to come to a positive solution. More training is needed for police to reduce emotional reactions? Of course, there is a need. What can we do to help the public with their reactions to events? Everyone knows training is necessary. It takes two to tango. You can't come from a neighborhood where murder is a common event and not expect some type of mental defense by the police. Is it true that most people, no matter where they come from, are not murderers? Yes, of course. However, can we all just adapt? The answer is also yes. We have to look within both the police and the public and recognize that everyone of us should have better control of our emotions.

I have written this book to help with the training of controlling emotions from all perspectives. I will instill methods, ideas, and even some background on where some of my suggestions come from. We have to realize that often police officers come from neighborhoods where there is little violence in the street or in their home. They have a much different perspective than that of the child raised in poverty, with poor school environment, violence in the home, and evil influences in the neighborhood.

It is a culture shock for both entities at the mere police-citizen contact. It is proven that it doesn't have to be a serious offense that brings these entities together. Sometimes it is a very minor act or crime that draws them together. I hope to bring awareness of controlling reactions to your emotions even in the face of disrespect, contempt, noncompliance, impertinence, insolence, passive resistance, and even physical resistance. I believe we should understand that people come from diverse backgrounds. It begins with where they live, what they were taught at home, what they were taught in school, and then what they were taught in the streets. Knowing where others come from and how he/she was raised can be beneficial to gaining more control of their situation or their reactions to their emotions during a police-citizen interaction.

This entire book explores the basic meaning of police power and how you and every police officer, citizen, and community leader must redefine it. It begins with the realization that there is an effective and efficient use of power when we recognize who we are, how we treat people, and what our professional goals are. It reveals that police officers and the community both bring knowledge, experience, and emotions to every contact. Police officers cannot have preconceived notions of a call for service (a moment of truth); instead, they should be dedicated to resolving issues and finding out what to do about problems. They must be free of discrimination or intolerance and recognize that equality doesn't exclude diversity. The community has the same rights as police officers, and the police must support and defend this equality. The police cannot be separate from the community. This is because the police are the community. Every thought of progress will be made as if the police officers live in that same community (neighborhood) in which they serve. This acceptance of responsibility includes the neighborhood, who must treat police officers as equals, as if they also live in the neighborhood. For both to live as neighbors and not rivals, there has to be this fullhearted attempt to bring these two very important entities together. The police can't do this alone, and with this information available to the entire community, we will gain future leaders of the community and their influences. Become a leader!

This book builds upon the very knowledge of police power. Not the power of force, but of awareness and control of one's reactions to one's emotions. When power is recognized, it accomplishes a successful police-citizen contact. It examines the relationship between the police and the community and the fact that we are only human and, unfortunately, are not guided by instinct. Therefore, when we remove ignorance and provide knowledge, we are redefining police power—it is finding the missing link. We must learn who we are as individuals and be taught how to treat the community that we serve. It is this self-awareness, and recognizing the power of emotions and following the golden rule, that redefines police power and how this knowledge will reduce complaints, overtime, lawsuits, court appearances, injuries to both officers and citizens, and even deaths.

Chapter 1

Redefining Police Power

Hopeful Vision

Police Power

Analyzing Our Notions of Power

Open-Minded, Tolerant

Knowledge

Stealing on the Job

Tipping Off the Mob

Self-Examination

Qualities of a Winner

Why Does the Public Treat Us This Way?

From Seven to Zero Homicides

Power and Restraint

Searching for a Secret

Knowing Who We Are

Only Eight Hours in a Shift

Area of Concern

Police and Their Own Personal Baggage

Improve Yourself

Chapter 1

Redefining Police Power

A Vision of Hope for Law Enforcement in the Twenty-First Century.

After having proudly served in the law enforcement field for thirty years, I have seen different types of police officers exercise their power in a myriad of ways. At times, I've seen police officers in riot gear carrying high-powered weapons, sledgehammers, battering rams, and/or maybe a Halligan tool. I have also seen officers stand in front of a once-unruly crowd and, in a nonthreatening stance, calmly speak in a manner that defuses the situation. In other words, some of the people whom we serve conjure up positive images of the police, while others conjure up more negative images. This is everyday life also. There is, in essence, a great diversity of opinion among the general public who observes the law enforcement community, and some members of the general public may even ask, Are the police always justified in their actions? While such questions are inevitable and understandable, we, as police officers, know that the use of force is oftentimes necessary and justified. Truth be told, a police officer has few viable choices when dealing with human beings. Some citizens may have little control of their emotions, some may be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, some may suffer from mental illness, and some may simply not want to go to jail. In addition to these variables, a police officer must also admittedly consider options while in the heat of the law enforcement moment, such as the law, politics, regulations, media, statistics, and bias—all of which also determine and limit a police officer's actions. It is very challenging, therefore, for police officers to not feel like they have failed when they are faced with so much and given such inadequate tools to satisfactorily handle the situation. So it seems that as police officers, we have a duty—a duty to redefine what real power means for law enforcement and to determine how we can use this newly envisioned power to build a more hopeful future for police officers and the communities they serve.

So how do we collectively redefine police power in order to secure a better future? Here is the good news: this process of redefining police power begins with each individual police officer. It begins in a singular level, and every officer already possesses the tools that he/she needs to accomplish this, even if he/she does not realize it. What is more important is that this power will assist each police officer in all his/her endeavors, both on and off the job. Moreover, this newly envisioned type of police power does not need any justification, unlike other forms of police power—not to mention that it may even inadvertently help you impress your supervisor(s) and lead to a much-deserved recognition.

Why is it difficult, and perhaps even frightening, for many of us as police officers to look within ourselves for the answers and analyze our own notions of power?

In some ways, it's the same for police officers as it is for superheroes: we learn, for example, from Spiderman that with great power comes great responsibility. By employing a few critical techniques, officers can use their power responsibly, to avoid common police mistakes and ultimately avert failure on the job. Doing our best on the job will become a matter of following a specific set of rules that do not change, that can be applied to any situation, at any time and any place. For example, if I learn that it is wholly unproductive to further incite an already-irate motorist whom I pull over for speeding, I will also learn not to further incite the anger of other people, like my hotheaded neighbor who likes to discuss racy, inappropriate political topics at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Such actions, we learn, are futile and do not produce good outcomes.

But how does a police officer learn about these critical techniques? What types of knowledge must a police officer acquire? Fortunately, it's simple: a police officer must know himself/herself, and a police officer must know his/her community.

When a person chooses to live the life of an enlightened (open-minded, tolerant) police officer, the officer will begin to change. When the officer changes, then his/her community will change. Believe it or not, each officer determines his/her own success. But in doing so, an officer must constantly be mindful of how he/she is exercising his/her power and commit to a never-ending cycle of self-improvement. Furthermore, how many police officers do you think actually think about what it means to be truly successful? Some officers simply get up every day, put on their uniform, and react blindly to whatever stimuli confronts them. That is why it is crucial to realize that every officer has the ability to change and responsibly use his/her great power. Margaret Mead once wrote, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Now swap police officers for citizens and sense the great possibilities that await us.

Most of the police officers whom I have met over the past thirty years have desired additional training in one subject matter or another, so it seems that officers are eager to evolve. Many, in fact, have complained when there was little money for professional development or when they were not granted permission to attend particular trainings. Therefore, the simple fact is that most police officers want to learn. Like professional athletes, committed police officers expect to reach their goals, and they strive to be the best at what they do.

One must understand, though, that there are obstacles along this path to self-discovery and knowledge. Such obstacles may include a poor attitude toward life in general, and this will disallow some officers from attaining the true knowledge they need. Such officers tend to only see the bad in life, or as I call it, the sad in life. In their defense, police officers do see terrible things—terrible things that people do to one another. And these negative thoughts can eventually develop into a negative attitude, where the officers expect to see the sad, so they will, each and every day. Still, while this can happen, hope yet remains, for any police officer has the ability to change.

Once an officer commits to this change and begins to look within himself/herself, he/she will find a plethora of emotions, some good and some not so good. None of these emotions are to be denied. They exist and deserve validation. These emotions, however, affect us as police officers every day, and not appropriately dealing with the negative emotions can damage the officer, as well as the community. Think about this: Is it smart to send emotionally distraught armed officers into the field? Should such emotionally distraught officers be left to decide the fate of the community and its members? Statistics reveal that emotionally distraught officers oftentimes fail to recognize that they need help, and they consequently make poor decisions—sometimes even fatal—that affect themselves and their communities. We have no choice but to teach officers to appropriately digest and deal with the emotional impacts of such emotion as apathy of citizens, and also abounding complaints and/or verbal and/or physical abuse from citizens.

If one thinks about it, the knowledge that an officer acquires at the police academy is somewhat limited. Don't get me wrong. An officer must learn how to skillfully fire weapons, write reports, understand the law, abide by prescribed safety procedures, etc. Seldom are officers encouraged to know what is most important, knowing oneself. Until an officer truly knows himself/herself, his/her arsenal of knowledge will be limited.

As a field training officer, I had an experience that made me begin to question why I continue to remain a police officer. A 3:00 a.m. call had me and my recruit sent to an apparently abandoned gas station. Lights were on, and the doors were unlocked. No attendant was in sight. Several other squads showed up. One carried a couple of recruits that I had broken in on the job. A couple of other veteran officers occupied the others. While waiting to make contact with the owner, I felt it was a good time to cover some of the paperwork that goes along with training these brand-new police officers. Within a couple of minutes, the squad occupying the other recruits pulled up alongside of us, and all of a sudden, my life was about to change. The words that came out of the recruit that was driving were unbelievable. He said, Do you guys see what we see? We looked up from our paperwork and followed their eyes to the opened gas station and two officers inside. Albeit inexpensive consumable products, they were filling their pockets with items from the shelves. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not naive. I started in 1973, and it was just a few short years later that this incident occurred. And although I had heard stories of officers breaking rules and even laws, I had never witnessed such violations. My immediate thoughts were to get out of my squad and go into the gas station and tell these officers that three recruits were in the parking lot, looking at them fill their pockets. However, it was all for naught when these words were uttered by two of the recruits: This isn't right. Are you going to do anything about this? Is this the way it is? I knew right then that my career and life were about to change.

I accepted this position as a field training officer because I wanted to help my department and my community. I knew I was representing my department. I was the face of the department in the eyes of these recruits. Therefore, I told the three recruits that I would handle it. After the owner was notified and it was determined that an employee left without closing the station, we left the scene. At the end of the shift, I caught up with a sergeant from the shift and informed him of the incident involving the recruits. He thanked me and said that he would take care of it.

Unfortunately, it was not over. The next night, as we entered the squad room for in-service training, the senior sergeant made an announcement. He called out four officers' names, which included the three recruits and me. He said he wanted to see us all in the lieutenant's office. In the office, the sergeant asked, What do you all expect me to do about what you saw last night? Do you want me to chew them out, see that they get time off, or do you want their jobs? My immediate response was that we were not trying to put this on him. I told him that we had three recruits who were going to be influenced by the decision that was going to be made. I explained to him that it wasn't up to us anymore and that we were just passing on this information. He became infuriated and said that we were not going to put this on him. He then said, Put on paper what you saw and turn it in before you hit the road. It wasn't long before the locker room talk included me and the rat that I was. I found myself working alone, with no support from my supervisors, and for about a year, even when I needed it, there was no backup to be had. I learned to work independently, and this alone time gave me a chance to analyze my life. Fortunately, the recruits were unscathed. And in fact, two of the recruits later became my superiors and leaders of the department. This incident took its toll on me, but I loved this job too much just to quit and do something else.

I felt somewhat vindicated one day when the chief of police asked me if I would like to work vice and narcotics. He said he needed someone he could trust in that position. I thought that this was great. However, six months after being assigned to the vice and narcotics section of my department, I learned that there was a security leak during a state police gambling bust in our city involving organized crime out of Joliet, and an internal investigation took place. I was summoned to the police chief's office, where I was given my rights and interrogated by the chief and a lieutenant with the state police. I told them that I didn't need an attorney because I would answer all their questions and do so honestly. To make a long story short, after weeks of phone calls from the chief and threats of charges of official misconduct and prison, I offered to take a polygraph. I was wired up within a couple of days and questioned about the investigation. I passed the polygraph, and the operator even commented that he didn't know why I was there. Another operator was present, and he echoed the same sentiment. When I asked the operator what was to happen next, he said it was up to my chief. I reported to the chief's office the next day, only to hear that he did what he thought he had to do. He turned his back to me and looked out the window. I asked, Where do we go from here? and he said he would handle it. I later heard that a person of a higher rank was responsible for the leak; however, the investigation was closed without further action (nepotism, favoritism, -ism, -ism, and -ism).

I thought to myself, How could this happen? One minute I was threatened with losing my job and going to jail, and the next minute the investigation was closed! Was it politics at its worst? Well, I became embittered, angry, and even cynical. This was the second time in one year that I felt terribly disheartened. I was short-tempered with citizens and even my loving family. My wife and I had not had one argument in our entire relationship until that time, six years into the marriage. The long record came to a screeching halt. I didn't like my job. That was all it was, a job—a job! I didn't like my life. I knew something had to give. I was treating all people with indifference. I knew I was being influenced by these pent-up emotions and, maybe worse, self-pity. What was I guilty of? Why did this happen? I didn't know what to do.

One day, I realized that it was up to me.

The public, and in particular my own family, didn't do anything to me. They were merely people that depended on me. So why was I feeling this way? I had a whole life to look forward to. I had a wife and two small children. What was I waiting for? It appeared that it was easy for others to tell me, Things happen for a reason, or that I should just put it behind me. I didn't listen. I carried this emotional baggage that was negatively affecting my career, my family, and my life. I didn't seem to have control of my life. What was keeping me from happiness when I had so much to be grateful for? I wanted to handle my feelings, but I didn't know how. I did recognize that I pretty much had to start over. I had to put these episodes in my life behind me. I had to begin anew. I realized that the knowledge I was seeking must begin with me, just me, and no one else. I had to ask myself, Who am I, and what do I want? I had to make these aspirations a reality. I had to actively seek those wants. It was this self-examination that made me realize that I had a whole life ahead of me and I had to take charge.

Almost 2,400 years ago, Socrates wrote, The unexamined life is not worth living. We can begin to examine ourselves by asking, Who am I? Why did I become a police officer? Why do I wish to serve the public? Why do I want to help others? How do I want to be treated by others? Do I treat others like I want to be treated? Do I have positive self-esteem? What is self-esteem, anyway? How can I inspire community members? What is empathy versus sympathy? Which is better? Am I empathetic? What are some specific times when I was empathetic with community members? What is compassion? Am I compassionate? What are some specific times when I was compassionate with community members? Remember that change begins with the self. You have to be happy with who you are. Police officers must realize this, and when they do, they will create a life that is worth living.

During this process of self-examination, it is wise to adopt a personal code of honor or a mission statement. When honor is the foundation of a police officer's life, the officer is on the right path. But what is honor, really? According to The American Heritage Dictionary, honor is the esteem or personal integrity maintained without legal or other obligations.¹ In other words, honor means respecting yourself and others as a natural extension of that. Unfortunately, all too often we hear and read about the officers who lack honor—police officers accused of brutality, and others arrested for committing crimes. Even though these officers have sworn an oath to protect, serve, and enforce the laws of the Constitution, they forgot about honor. They forgot that they were chosen by their fellow brothers and sisters to protect the people. Maybe such officers just never knew who they really were. Maybe they were not taught how to engage in self-examination. Maybe they never learned the true definition of police power.

Denis Waitley of Nightingale-Conant Corporation wrote Psychology of Winning: Ten Qualities of a Total Winner (1983).² He was accurate then, and what he wrote still rings true today. These qualities include positive self-expectancy, positive self-image, positive self-control, positive self-esteem, positive self-awareness, positive self-motivation, positive self-direction, and positive self-discipline. The obvious and operative word here is positive. So make it a habit to be positive. Stephen R. Covey wrote the successful and inspiring The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (2004),³ as well as The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness (2005).⁴ He says that these habits embody the essence of becoming a balanced, integrated, powerful person and creating a complementary team based on mutual respect. They are the principles of personal character. He explains that these habits are principles that shape who and what you are.

Every police officer must analyze who he/she is, and when he/she has a better understanding of oneself, then they must look outward and begin to analyze the community he/she serves. We can't forget that community is an extension of ourselves. One must ask, What do the people of the community want? How do the people of the community want to be respected? Here's the best part: once an officer begins to respect the community, he/she will begin to be respected in turn. This is where the golden rule of police work comes in: simply treat the members of your community as you want to be treated. In truth, police officers are confronted with everyday challenges that naturally lead to some element of us versus them locker-room talk. And then there are the personal stressors that only compound this negativity, like preserving a marriage, raising a family, attending additional schooling, and negotiating the politics of the job. All of us have encountered community members who make us feel frustrated, confused, and even angry. It's normal to think, What is going on here? Why aren't these people acting more responsibly? What is wrong with this picture? Imagine that you are sent to a disturbance call. The neighbors of the targeted house meet you and say that there is screaming inside. They can't sleep and they want those people arrested. You arrive at the house and enter. Several children are screaming and running around the house. The apparent father is sitting on the edge of a chair with his head in his hands. The first thought is, What is going on here? How could this father just sit there and appear not to do anything? A closer look reveals that the father is crying. Your irritation and near anger abate, even with the loud screaming children, as the father explains that they just left their mother's funeral. He states that he doesn't know what to do. Have you already made a judgment on that father's ability to raise his children? It makes you think again about the kids' behavior. You must know that you are bringing your preconceived beliefs and emotions to that critical contact, just as they do. Is there any wonder, without the proper tools, we sometimes fail? You will have bad days, and believe it or not, others will have days like that too. Can you see how this knowledge is powerful? Without possessing the right tools of empathy and compassion, we are bound to fail. Because I had looked within myself and set my intention to be empathetic and compassionate with the people I meet, I was able to ask myself, Why is this individual upset? How can I better understand what the other person is thinking and feeling? How can this knowledge help me make my interaction with this person more successful?

Some might wonder, however, if this is necessary. Some officers fail to see that their communities are reflections of themselves, just as children are reflections of their parents. How can an officer expect community members to wave gleefully to him/her as he/she passes in the squad car when he/she himself/herself does not connect respectfully with the community members regularly? Does every officer think that the general public should just naturally show admiration and gratefulness? Why, at times, do police officers forget that we often get what we give? One particular police officer told me one day that he didn't think people appreciated what he did. I then asked him to explain what he was doing. He told me that he did his job just like every other cop did. He went on to say that he responded to calls and took abuse from the public just like all other police officers did. I then asked him why he thought the public was abusive toward him and other police officers. He responded, "That is the way those people are, and they just don't appreciate us." I proceeded to ask him what he was doing to change how the public treated him, and he stated that he treated the public as they treated him. I told him he should do something to change that dynamic, to make it better. In response, he just gave me a look—a look of pure puzzlement. He didn't have an answer. It was not that he forgot his training but that he had a task-orientated training, not a passion-filled training.

If a police officer realizes that the relationship between himself/herself and the community needs improvement, then he/she should stop admiring the problem and start solving it. An officer can't wait for something serious to happen in his/her area or wait for a supervisor to direct him/her to act. Instead, an officer must recognize that just one police officer can make a difference, and the need to do so is an urgent one. It is difficult to imagine how many police officers have been suspended, demoted, or even fired due to a lack of this knowledge and initiative. These officers failed to realize that nothing will change until they do.

There are many success stories in which police officers have connected positively with their communities. As a community policing sergeant, I took