Changing Behavior, Not Beliefs

Redefining Roles

Phillip Atiba Goff argues for redefining police roles to prevent unnecessary confrontations. He highlights that law enforcement often handles tasks better suited for other services, such as mental health crises and traffic violations 1. In Berkeley, California, a shift towards mailing tickets for minor traffic offenses exemplifies this approach, reducing the need for armed police presence 1. Goff emphasizes starting with community solutions for public safety, rather than defaulting to police intervention 2.

If you want to reduce the risk that the police will shoot someone by mistake, the first thing to do is don't send armed police to situations that don't require armed police.

--- Shankar Vedantam

   

Deescalation

Deescalation training is crucial in reducing unnecessary use of force by police. Phillip Atiba Goff notes that simple strategies, like waiting for backup and counting to ten, can significantly decrease force incidents 3. In Las Vegas, such training led to a 23% reduction in force usage, becoming a national model 3. Performance management in policing focuses on measurable outcomes, like reducing crime rates, rather than assessing officers' character 4.

Instead of saying, bad cops shoot kids, if you say, hey, look, foot pursuits increase the risk of tragic mistakes. Let's try and reduce the number of tragic mistakes in our department.

--- Phillip Atiba Goff

   

Systemic Racism

Systemic racism in policing is more about structural issues than individual bigotry. Phillip Atiba Goff explains that disparities can occur without overt racism, as seen in the lack of resources for mental health crises, which disproportionately affects Black communities 5. He recounts a pivotal moment with Tracy Kazee, who questioned the structural biases in police training after a tragic incident 6. This led to the founding of the Center for Policing Equity, focusing on systemic changes rather than individual biases 5.

Racism is that pattern of behaviors out in the world.

--- Phillip Atiba Goff