Police Reform – Four Proposals

Police reform has been discussed for decades. While there have been a few examples of progress, it remains a major concern.

The following are four proposals which will lead to better policing.

Increase Their Pay

The average annual wage of a police officer is $67,600, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the national average, and it varies widely depending on what part of the country you are from. In California the average is $105,000, while Mississippi it is $36,000.

If we want a highly skilled professional police force, we must pay them as such. While some people may consider $67,000 a good salary, it is well below what most professions pay. When you factor in the stress and inherent danger of the job, the pay falls far short of what is needed to attract and maintain the best talent available.

Training

The average amount of training required to become a police officer is less than the number of hours to become a barber. Once someone becomes a police officer, the on-going training is usually around 40 hours a year.

When you consider all the different skills a police officer needs, and all the different situations they find themselves, many of which can involve life or death split second decisions, this amount of training is absurdly low.

Decorated Navy SEAL Jocko Willink has been recommending police officers spend 20% of their time in on-going training. He argues that in high-stress situations, if you have not been trained, and have not practiced, to control your emotions and get control over the adrenaline that will be flooding your body, you will make bad decisions.

If you think about why sports teams train so much, it is so when they need to act, their instincts kick in and they make the correct move. We need to give our officers the tools to do their job. This means allowing them the time to train and practice all the many scenarios they may encounter. So, when needed, their instincts will be razor sharp, and we will have fewer bad outcomes.

Work in Pairs

A police officer should never have to work alone. Having a second officer allows them to have better control over the situation. It also provides a deterrent if someone is planning to do harm to our officers.

In addition, it provides a way for experience officers to pass along their knowledge to the next generation.

Two officers are far more likely to be able to maintain control over a situation and not allow it to escalate.

Educate Citizens on Police Interactions

Each of us also have a responsibility to act properly so that an officer can feel safe while performing their duty.

An example is if you are stopped for a traffic violation, have your license, registration, insurance card available, and hands clearly visible as the officer approaches the car. An officer should be on high alert if you are fumbling around in the glove box, where he cannot see your hands.

If an officer gives you instructions, follow them, do not debate, do not argue. If you feel the instructions were improper, raise the issue back at the police station.

There should be a media campaign to educate the public on what to expect and how to act when interacting with the police.

Summary

All of this cost money, a lot of money. If we want a high quality, well trained police force, a major investment must be made.

In this writers’ opinion, “Defund the Police” is the exact wrong solution. Less pay, less training, fewer officers, how does that improve the situation? Let’s retire that saying, if we need a slogan “Properly Fund the Police” sounds better to me.

To the friends and families of the 151 officers killed while on duty during 2019, and all the ones killed before and after 2019, my heart is heavy, and my prayers are with you.

To all the officers who risk their lives every day, I thank you and am grateful.