Order and Law

02-05-2023Pastor's LetterFr. John Bonavitacola

Dear Friends,

The country witnessed another horrific police involved killing in Memphis recently. Even though the number of these types of killings is low relative to the amount of interactions police officers have with suspects, it is still unacceptable and constant vigilance, training, supervision, and accountability must be in place.

One of the problems with the current state of policing is, well, policing. And the problem isn’t really so much with the police as it is with the politicians who direct the police on how to police. At some point, I think it was around the time when the “war on drugs” began, but the manner of policing went from having police function as Community Peace Officers to being strictly Law Enforcement Officers. So, for those who don't have criminal contact with police the contact is about tickets, fees and fines. And the more police are pushed by politicians to fill quotas of tickets, fines and fees the more the municipalities are able to supplement their tax revenues.

The 2014 case of Eric Garner in NY, the man who died while police were arresting him was not just about the appropriate use of force but code enforcement. He was being arrested for selling loose cigarettes. Mayors don't like anyone selling loose smokes because no tax is collected. It was the elected leaders who told police to go after such civil violations. Add to this the fact that local police have been given military grade weapons and the training that goes with having them the police today can be very intimidating which makes it harder for them to be a trusted Community partner. It creates a bad vibe between police and residents.

Or take the case of the arrest of Mark Houck, a pro-life activist, husband and father, whose house was raided by two dozen Federal agents. Houck has never been in trouble with the law and has been praying at Abortion Clinics for years. He got into a scuffle with a nasty abortion activist almost a year earlier and that was enough to send in a heavily armed SWAT team to arrest him in his home. Why such a display of force? After a year he obviously was not a threat or a flight risk. The military-like tactics could and often end up poorly, but they also make your average citizen less likely to trust the police.

As a result of the decades change in the manner of policing, for most people their interaction with police starts off negative. And it also produces incentives for some police to antagonize and prey on citizens to fill their quota of tickets and arrests. It’s not, “happy to to see you Officer Lopez” but “what’s wrong, or what did I do wrong?” It’s like getting called into the Principal’s office, it’s not for a friendly chat. And I doubt the police like policing in this manner. But mayors and governors do since it adds cash to their bloated budgets.

So, am I suggesting a return to Mayberry? Well yes in fact, I am. What would it look like if we allowed police to return to being Community Peace Officers? What would it be like if the police on a regular basis stopped in the local business or the Parish office or the local community centers? Well, we might actually get to know them and probably like them and more importantly probably trust them. It would also allow the police to keep a pulse on the community, what problems are boiling up, what tensions exist in the community and then use other community leaders to help lower the temperature, reduce the tension and find solutions to problems before they become criminal. Think of it, do most people know the names of any of the police that patrol their neighborhood? How about the name of the Captain of the Precinct? If you don't, I suggest contacting your local police precinct, take a tour of the Precinct, ask about how things work, take a ride during a patrol, and get to see things from a different angle. And become informed about the changes that are needed in our system of policing.

We who live in the Sun Cities area are fortunate since we are under the jurisdiction of the County Sheriff and with that comes the Sheriff’s Posse. The Posse, all volunteers, help the police to get to know the community, understand the tensions and threats it faces and most of all create trust between residents and police. What a joy it is for me to see the Posse patrolling the streets, stopping in Church offices, local businesses, and organizations to get to know us, offering help when problems arise and being a resource in the community. Also, by having a solid relationship with the community, residents are less likely to jump to conclusions when things go wrong. And by knowing the community, police come to understand the residents are not just potential lawbreakers or suspects but real humans that can often get into a difficult spot.

Our Sheriff’s Office offers community seminars to inform us of the latest scams and tactics criminals are using to prey on us. And it gives us the chance to report suspicious behavior as well. And for those of you who are “Fair weather friends” (part-time residents) you can let the Posse know when you leave town and when you will return, so they can check your property in your absence. A nice feature of living here! So, support the Posse, volunteer with the Posse and each year when they ask for donations be sure to make a gift. A lot of what the Posse does and the equipment they have is paid for through donations. The more we get to know our Police officers the less likely our encounters will be negative. Also, the less likely we are to judge them rashly when things go south and they are involved in a messy situation. And we can also send a message to our elected leaders to stop making policing all about law enforcement and generating revenue.

But the world is a dangerous place these days, drug cartels, terrorists and gangs. What about that? Well let the DEA do the heavy work with the cartels and gangs and DHS deal with the terrorists. The local police can provide good intelligence to these agencies without turning the local police into a para-military force.

The Police today are getting bashed for doing the job the people we elect tell them to do. Maybe the change should start at that level first. If there is a problem with individual police, we can beef up our screening and training to get better ones. But we also have to allow the Police to get to know the community and change the way police officer’s performance is measured, not by the amounts of tickets and arrests but by other outcomes.

Love,

Fr. John B.

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