60
Improved Policing Policies
The ideas shared by the Bridge Summit police chiefs represent
the kind of thinking that could help build better community rela-
tionships. Police departments in many American cities are imple-
menting new policies and programs based on such thinking. In
August 2016, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Chief Janeé Har-
teau announced some major changes in her department. One
addition will be de-escalation training for police officers. Before
resorting to force, officers will be trained to exhaust all reason-
able means of defusing potentially violent situations. This is one of
many initiatives put in place by Harteau that are aimed at restoring
citizens’ trust in law enforcement. “We cannot have public safety
without public trust,”
70
she says.
Another addition to police officer training in Minneapolis is
learning to recognize factors that might contribute to someone’s
lack of compliance. These could include language barriers, drug
and alcohol use, or a mental health crisis.
And in situations where force becomes
necessary, officers are encouraged to first
announce their intent to use force. Also,
says Harteau, the Minneapolis Police De-
partment has outfitted all officers with body
cameras. In cases where excessive force
is used, video footage can help ensure the
offending officer is dealt with appropriately.
And because policing can be stressful and tough on officers emo-
tionally, the Minneapolis Police Department overhauled its early in-
tervention system. This will allow the department to better identify
potentially troubled officers and help them get the care they need.
Dallas: A Police Reform Success Story
A number of policy changes have also been implemented in Dal-
las, Texas. Led by Police Chief David O. Brown, the force has
become known as a model of community policing. This has
not always been the case in the city, as journalist Christopher I.
Haugh explains: “Dallas was once notorious for police violence.
For years, the third largest city in Texas has had a higher per-
capita rate of police-involved shootings than Chicago, New York,
or Los Angeles.”
71
“We cannot have
public safety without
public trust.”
70
—Janeé Harteau, police chief of
Minneapolis, Minnesota
