Rethinking the Law Enforcement Function
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Joe Jarret
June 21, 2020
Forty years ago, while analyzing the administration of law enforcement agencies, James Q. Wilson asserted, “If police departments are at best a necessary evil, filled with inept or intolerant men exploiting the fact that they are necessary, then the solution to the problem of abuse is to put the police under the strictest and closest control of those whose activities they are supposed to regulate.” As a result of the tragic and unnecessary death of African American George Perry Floyd Jr. at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, law enforcement agencies across the country are coming under increasing scrutiny, and in some areas, attack. There are calls to defund the police, restrict law enforcement officers from availing themselves of public transportation, etc. In the midst of this turmoil, the question remains: what role does the public administration profession play in restoring faith, trust and confidence in the police?
In many local governments, the law enforcement function, often out of necessity, is physical separated from the rest of local government. More importantly, sheriffs and chiefs of police are often icily separated from the rest of their local government peers. This phenomenon is usually attributed to the impression that law enforcement agencies are insular, quasi-military organizations that don’t suffer outsiders well. As to the latter, I have found the opposite to be true. Prior to becoming a public sector attorney, I earned a master’s in public administration (MPA) degree and served public entities in two states as a public administrator and manager. During my MPA degree program, no mention was made of the law enforcement function. The presumption was that such discussions were best left to police science or criminal justice programs. This was a mistake. The public administration profession has a wealth of information that would serve law enforcement agencies well. Fortunately, my MPA program introduced me to ASPA, and its significant and necessary contributions to public administration and management.
By way of anecdote, when I was a prosecutor/managing attorney in a rural county, it was clear that the local police department had issues beyond its use-of-force policies. I met with my boss and obtained permission to work with the agency, not as a prosecutor, but as a public administrator. My boss was skeptical, but acquiesced to my request. When I sat down with the chief of police and offered my services, he was delighted to have them. I soon learned that the department, despite its unique role, was experiencing the same problems as any other local government agency. For instance, their personnel manual was woefully outdated and inadequate, and their budgeting process arcane. Training was spotty and undocumented, and there was no effort to engage the community beyond enforcing the law. I am not going to claim that my efforts transformed the department into a modern, first-rate agency, but they did give the chief and his leadership team something to think about. During this time, I introduced the chief to the ASPA Code of Ethics, and other articles and resources offered by our organization, all of which were well-received.
As public administrators, we have a duty to ensure that all public entities are professionally and efficiently run. Maybe it’s time to bring law enforcement into the fold, by introducing those time-honored, and more importantly, time-proven public administration techniques that serve America’s public entities so well. For instance, we should consider:
- Increasing the use of special prosecutors in police misconduct investigations.
- Insuring that all law enforcement agencies have clear and concise use-of- force/deadly force policies.
- Insist that deadly force investigations are open and transparent by;
- Enhancing the collection of data on fatalities involving police.
- Implementing systemic racism and implicit bias training for all law-enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level.
- Increasing the federal government’s oversight of police conduct allegations.
Finally, citizens should be encouraged to become engaged and stay engaged with their local law enforcement agencies which will serve to both demystify and humanize the police function. The International Chiefs of Police offers the following ways citizens can better understand the structure and function of law enforcement:
- Volunteer to assist with search and rescue activities.
- Serve on a Citizen Advisory Board.
- Participate in a Citizens Police Academy.
- Compliment or complain.
- Participate in Neighborhood Watch.
- Participate in police initiatives, projects and programs.
- Attend community meetings.
- Participate in law enforcement surveys.
- Get your kids involved in a law enforcement sponsored youth program.
- Follow your law enforcement agency on social media.
If there was ever an opportunity for ASPA members to affect change that will improve society, it is now. Let’s ensure that our law enforcement agencies are held to the same ethical and professional standards we hold ourselves to as members of ASPA.
Author: Joe Jarret is a public sector manager, attorney and mediator who lectures on behalf of the Master of Public Policy and Administration program in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the chair of the Local Government Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, a former United States Army Armored Cavalry Officer, a past-president of the E. TN Chapter of ASPA, and an award-winning author.
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Rethinking the Law Enforcement Function
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Joe Jarret
June 21, 2020
Forty years ago, while analyzing the administration of law enforcement agencies, James Q. Wilson asserted, “If police departments are at best a necessary evil, filled with inept or intolerant men exploiting the fact that they are necessary, then the solution to the problem of abuse is to put the police under the strictest and closest control of those whose activities they are supposed to regulate.” As a result of the tragic and unnecessary death of African American George Perry Floyd Jr. at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, law enforcement agencies across the country are coming under increasing scrutiny, and in some areas, attack. There are calls to defund the police, restrict law enforcement officers from availing themselves of public transportation, etc. In the midst of this turmoil, the question remains: what role does the public administration profession play in restoring faith, trust and confidence in the police?
In many local governments, the law enforcement function, often out of necessity, is physical separated from the rest of local government. More importantly, sheriffs and chiefs of police are often icily separated from the rest of their local government peers. This phenomenon is usually attributed to the impression that law enforcement agencies are insular, quasi-military organizations that don’t suffer outsiders well. As to the latter, I have found the opposite to be true. Prior to becoming a public sector attorney, I earned a master’s in public administration (MPA) degree and served public entities in two states as a public administrator and manager. During my MPA degree program, no mention was made of the law enforcement function. The presumption was that such discussions were best left to police science or criminal justice programs. This was a mistake. The public administration profession has a wealth of information that would serve law enforcement agencies well. Fortunately, my MPA program introduced me to ASPA, and its significant and necessary contributions to public administration and management.
By way of anecdote, when I was a prosecutor/managing attorney in a rural county, it was clear that the local police department had issues beyond its use-of-force policies. I met with my boss and obtained permission to work with the agency, not as a prosecutor, but as a public administrator. My boss was skeptical, but acquiesced to my request. When I sat down with the chief of police and offered my services, he was delighted to have them. I soon learned that the department, despite its unique role, was experiencing the same problems as any other local government agency. For instance, their personnel manual was woefully outdated and inadequate, and their budgeting process arcane. Training was spotty and undocumented, and there was no effort to engage the community beyond enforcing the law. I am not going to claim that my efforts transformed the department into a modern, first-rate agency, but they did give the chief and his leadership team something to think about. During this time, I introduced the chief to the ASPA Code of Ethics, and other articles and resources offered by our organization, all of which were well-received.
As public administrators, we have a duty to ensure that all public entities are professionally and efficiently run. Maybe it’s time to bring law enforcement into the fold, by introducing those time-honored, and more importantly, time-proven public administration techniques that serve America’s public entities so well. For instance, we should consider:
Finally, citizens should be encouraged to become engaged and stay engaged with their local law enforcement agencies which will serve to both demystify and humanize the police function. The International Chiefs of Police offers the following ways citizens can better understand the structure and function of law enforcement:
If there was ever an opportunity for ASPA members to affect change that will improve society, it is now. Let’s ensure that our law enforcement agencies are held to the same ethical and professional standards we hold ourselves to as members of ASPA.
Author: Joe Jarret is a public sector manager, attorney and mediator who lectures on behalf of the Master of Public Policy and Administration program in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the chair of the Local Government Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, a former United States Army Armored Cavalry Officer, a past-president of the E. TN Chapter of ASPA, and an award-winning author.
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