This past month has been filled with devastating events occurring all around the world, from Bangladesh, to Baghdad, to France, to Turkey, and to the United States. With each event, we have mourned the loss of life, and we find ourselves asking what we, as law enforcement officials, can do to prevent further tragedy.
I would like to take this moment to focus on what has recently transpired in the United States. On July 7, 2016, five Dallas, Texas, police officers were killed in what is the deadliest attack on law enforcement in the United States since September 11, 2001. Then, just two weeks after the Dallas shooting, we experienced more tragedy with an attack on law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Heartbroken, saddened, sickened, appalled—none of these words are strong enough to express how I feel about the tragic and senseless deaths of the officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge and the others who were wounded or killed in other shootings around the United States.
Right now, we are experiencing what is arguably the most difficult and dangerous time in U.S. policing history. The amount of blood that has been spilled on the streets in the United States in July alone is gut-wrenching. We must end this violence against police. We must take this time to come together and not increase the divisions among us or allow the violence to escalate further. This is the time to look at the divisions in communities and find ways to bridge those gaps and work toward collaborative solutions among law enforcement, government officials, support organizations, and other community members.
Law enforcement officers have an incredible responsibility and, with that responsibility, comes a stressful and dangerous job. We put our lives in harm’s way on a daily basis, to protect freedom and democracy, confront crime, and ensure the safety of our communities. We do this because we took an oath to safeguard our fellow citizens. We believe in that oath, and we feel an allegiance to and pride for the citizens we protect and the communities we serve. The officers in Dallas were acting as guardians and protecting the protestors. The officers in Baton Rouge were dispatched for a report of a man carrying a weapon, and they went to ensure that no one was in harm’s way. While serving and protecting, these officers paid the ultimate price.
Not only are we charged with protecting the public, but many social system failures are laid at our feet, including the challenges posed by homelessness, unemployment, and mental illness. The stress our officers are experiencing every day is insurmountable. What happened in Dallas and Baton Rouge will rest heavy with the entire law enforcement community and will take generations to overcome. To add to the difficulty, those feelings must be overlaid with issues of race relations, homegrown violent extremism, active shooters, and our daily job of going from call to call to protect our communities.
These larger issues at play cannot be ignored. Societal problems have exacerbated the divisions felt by community members around the United States. While the police are dealing with these concerns daily, these are not issues the police can control. Law enforcement alone is unable to fix all problems. Those solutions must come through coordinated efforts on the part of federal, state, and local lawmakers. However, law enforcement does have a role to play as an unbelievably strong and dedicated profession. We need to reach into our communities; touch the lives of those who are questioning our integrity; and bring forth transparency, trust, and accountability in our departments. We must work to find partnerships with those who seek the same outcome: healthy, safe, thriving communities.
My heart, like yours, is broken over what happened. However, rather than let this tragedy further divide us, it increases my resolve for us to do what we need to do to bridge the divide we are experiencing. The bottom line is that if we don’t work to resolve this issue, we’re going to see more officers die. The only choice we have is to find a path forward.
In searching for that path forward, I have attended several meetings with U.S. President Obama and his administration. During those meetings, and in my many media appearances, I have asked that we not rush to judgement over the police-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Statements by many, from all perspectives, that presuppose guilt or inflame public opinion have served only to exacerbate feelings. We must tamper down the incendiary rhetoric and the hyperbole. It doesn’t matter what your politics are, we must find a way forward. We can and must examine the words we use as we continue these important conversations.
Far too often, we hear comments about statistics—use-of-force by police or on police. While the issue of data collection is an important one, right now, this is not a time to focus on statistics from one side or another. This is about emotion. This is about people’s lives. This is about fear in the community, and it is our job to make people safe and keep our officers safe. We must recognize this reality and allow our responses and discussion to reflect the values behind our profession, the values we take an oath to uphold.
It is only through respectful, thoughtful conversations that we will find the solutions necessary to move forward. And it is through these continued difficult discussions that those solutions will be implemented and communities can begin to heal.While the call for an end to rhetoric and hyperbole is now happening at the federal level, it is important that these conversations are also happening at the local level. Many agencies are seeing an outpouring of support from community members. These stories are important to share as we move forward. Officers around the United States are under extreme stress that is compounded by each incident. Showing the support of community members helps to increase our resolve and provides examples for other in communities.
Rather than letting this tragedy divide us, this is a time for us to come together as a community and share our grief and look for solutions.
I am incredibly honored to serve as a law enforcement officer, and as the president of the IACP. I look forward to working together to overcome these tough times and bring forth solutions. Thank you for all that you do, and please stay safe. ♦
Please cite as
Terrence M. Cunningham, “Two Weeks in July: A Crossroads for the Profession,” President’s Message, The Police Chief 83 (August 2016): 6.
