THE HISTORY of the COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIP
Integrated Operational Policing is the best method of establishing the Peace Officer/Local Citizen Partnership necessary in this new millennial society. As a community based methodology of Police Operations and Management, it’s the Stakeholders involvement in Preemptive Decision-Making that must be a major factor and emphasis in directing law and order.
Not once in American History has there been a time that crime was solved without the Officer-Citizen partnership.
Not once!
In the post-Revolutionary period, it was the Local Sheriff’s and Federal Marshall’s that interpreted local mores and law to keep the peace.
Those local lawmen were the first to practice what we now call “Adaptive Leadership” … responding to crime and community concerns as they arose.
On October 22, 1791 Sheriff Cornelius Hogeboom, of Columbia County, New York, became the first known Peace Officer in American History to be ‘Killed in the Line of Duty, while serving an Order of Ejectment … an Eviction.
Operational Law Enforcement has always been a Local Policing Partnership … Between the local Community and their local Police Agency.
In 1835, to address the murder rate and increase in property theft, Texans appointed the Texas Rangers as the oldest statewide police agency. The major property theft at the time was fastest conveyance of land … a horse. Before there was Grand Theft Auto … there was a Grand Theft Black Caspian Stallion named Bey. Imagine the broadcast of the Ranger Stephen F. Austin on his first would-be G-Ride while following cattle rustlers … “We’ll head ‘em off at the pass”.
Again, Operational Law Enforcement is always between Local Policing Partners
In the fall of 1881, the kinship and hatred between the field cop and street gangsters was famously illustrated in Tombstone, Arizona. It’s difficult for the civilized world to understand the Holy Calling of an Operational Peace Officer. It’s an oath of honor sworn before God by every child that played Cops and Robbers. Doc and the Earp Brothers, like our modern day Gang Enforcement or Crime Suppression Units, they earnestly believed that they wore the white hats and the Cowboy Gang preys on society.
Throughout American History, Law Enforcement has always been at its best when partnered with the Community.
Today, we are faced with groups committed to chaos like Sovereign Citizens, the Occupy Movement, Anarchy, Black Lives Matter, and Anonymous.
In this Age of Anarchy, I’ve been reminded for the past few years that I’m a Professional Citizen.
Peace Officers are merely a cross section of this American Society as citizens who are acting on the behalf of our own communities. We have received a Holy Calling to be Professional Citizens.
Police Community: I’ve been deployed to virtually every Black Lives Matters protest in Los Angeles since the inception of BLM. As a Black Police Sergeant, it was presumed that I might garner a certain amount of deference that my law enforcement counter-parts may not, AND I’m cool with that because I recognize the power of the Team.
Black Community: Similarly, I’ve enjoyed a beautiful Young Black Girl who regularly calls me a “Sellout” “House Slave” and my all-time favorite “Porch Nigger” to please her protestant mother. In like manner, I’m still cool with that too because I’m proud to protect the citizens constitutional right to protest the government, not matter how misguided their message.
I’m the product of the Police and Black Communities … and I’m cool with that because it is My Holy Calling to provide redress to the grievance of local communities. There is a uniquely spiritual and cathartic stirring in knowing that we are merely local citizens, from the community, protecting and serving these communities.
THE CONCLUSION
In this Era of Anarchy, we will solve Policing Issues together or fail while apart. It’s a simple choice.
The Police and the Community. We will define our values, set goals, and redress the community needs, or…
We will languish in hate, rhetoric, and community dissention. It’s a simple choice. Integrated Policing is about Stakeholder Team-Building and the development of Actionable, Operational Plans that positively affect the community.
I choose Team Building with the community. iOP’s is the Stakeholder’s the necessary method of bridging the Police-Community gap. Together We Do It (we get it done)