Philosophy on Use of Force
For a consulting proposal I'm working on, I needed to write a one-page summary of my police use of force philosophy. I thought I'd share it here to spark a discussion: First and foremost, I believe in dignified policing . This requires a sense of pride in self, peers, and agency. However, at its core, dignified policing is about treating citizens with respect, compassion, and understanding. When a police officer allows a citizen to retain his/her dignity, amazing things are possible. I believe in enforcing the law in accordance to the Constitution . As such, police officers must operate within the confines of case law, specifically that of the Fourth Amendment. An intimate knowledge of Search and Seizure is a foundation for legitimate law enforcement. Department use of force policy should mirror case law standards. Words such as minimum , avoidable , and necessary have no place in agency policy. Determining force’s avoid-ability or necessity requires either a crysta