How Can Police Regain the Public’s Trust?
A new report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors provides meaningful lessons that can be applied in Honolulu in light of recent problems.
Honolulu might want to take a close look at issued by the U.S. Conference of Mayors about improving police relations with the community.
The report was issued in light of recent high profile killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City by white police officers.
It also addressed the assassination of two NYPD officers by a man claiming retaliation for those police-caused deaths.
“These events have shaken some of the public鈥檚 perceptions of policing in America and of the criminal justice system,” the report states. “They have highlighted both the rift that may exist between police officers and the communities they serve and protect, and the danger which those officers face every day.”
Honolulu Police Department headquarters.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
The report spells out six recommendations to help rebuild trust in the nation’s police departments:
1- Build trust between police and community
2- Improve police department practices
3- Ensure timely and accurate communications
4- Conduct independent investigations of deaths relating to police encounters
5- Address racial and economic disparities and community frustration and distrust with government institutions
6- Provide national leadership
Some highlights include the recommended use of body cameras, improving officer training and communicating transparently with the public and the media.
This is particularly important, the report says, when there are investigations into officer-involving shootings and other fatal incidents.
Many of these recommendations would go a long way in Honolulu, where investigations into officer-involved killings are often shrouded in secrecy.
The public is also routinely kept in the dark about officer misconduct and the disciplinary actions taken to correct it.
Last year was particularly bad for the Honolulu Police Department.
One officer was caught on surveillance video repeatedly taking swings at his girlfriend in a restaurant. Officers responded to the incident but didn’t make an arrest, raising questions about how HPD responds to domestic violence calls.
Another officer was caught on tape in a separate incident kicking a man in the face in a Chinatown gameroom. That case is now under FBI investigation.
Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha is also caught up in the controversy, with the FBI probing allegations of a frame-up and officer misconduct surrounding his missing mailbox.
There are calls for reform, especially from state lawmakers, who believe more accountability is needed. A group of University of Hawaii faculty members echoed this sentiment, highlighting recent officer-involved fatalities.
What has yet to happen is any meaningful action at the city level. The report suggests Kealoha and Mayor Kirk Caldwell could work together to improve perceptions.
You can read the full report here:
