Tuesday, the Columbus Police Department held its annual “Night Out Against Crime,” with officers fanning out across the city to mix and mingle with residents in seven neighborhoods. Organizers hoped to bring a block party feel to the event, passing out school supplies and organizing games for the children while providing refreshments for all who attended.
The CPD has been participating in this national campaign for 20 years. They view the event as an opportunity to meet with the residents they are sworn to protect in a casual setting and nonthreatening atmosphere.
It is intended as an exercise in trust-building and, given the events of the past couple of years, there’s plenty of room for improvement in that area.
Deadly confrontations between law enforcement and citizens, both nationally and locally, have shaken the confidence of police and citizens alike, especially in poor communities, where crime rates are higher.
All too often, encounters with police in these neighborhoods come in high-stress situations as officers respond to crime scenes. For some residents, these high-stress situations may be the only interaction they have with police. The portrait that emerges is that police are authoritarian figures, not easily approached and intimidating.
That is not the image that exists in more prosperous neighborhoods, where crime is not routine and encounters with police are naturally less stressful.
When a person looks out the window and sees a cop car coming down the street, that image is likely to produce two wildly different reactions, based on where that street happens to be.
Yet, of all residents, it is the poor, honest hard-working folks in those poor communities for whom good relations with police is most critical. Building trust between the police department and residents is the best way to fight crime. It is very much a collaborate effort. If we rely on police to “clean up the mess” without accepting our responsibility for the mess, we cannot expect any real progress.
Crime in any neighborhood is a neighborhood’s problem. And where there exists a culture of silence, where what happens in our neighborhoods is “none of my business,” where children are taught to fear and distrust police, we have failed to meet our obligation as citizens and crime is the price we pay.
The relationship between police and citizens is like any other relationship – it requires commitment and work by both parties.
For three hours Tuesday, police offers chatted with residents, listened to their voices and tried to make a personal connection.
That’s a great thing, of course, but it’s only a start.
The cop on patrol must make sure that these conversations continue to happen. They must make an effort to get to know the people they serve, to listen, to learn. Those kinds of contacts should not be reserved for special occasions; they should be a routine part of every working day.
When police and citizens know and respect each other and rely on each other, neighborhoods are safer for both the cop and the resident.
That doesn’t happen over night, of course, but it does happen if both parties are committed to making it happen day-in and day-out over time.
The good news in all of this is that no neighborhood is helpless in the face of crime. Working with police and watching out for each other is the best answer we can ever hope to have.
It works.
If we work, too.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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