Certification Is it Worth the Hype ?
Christopher M . Cooke
Police departments across the country are under attack . Over the last several years , news reporters have repeatedly recorded the chants of citizens across the United States protesting against the police . “ Say her name !” “ Say his name !” “ Hands up , don ’ t shoot !” “ I can ’ t breathe !” While the messages were not always the same , each demanded significant change in law enforcement agencies ’ operations . Proponents of change call for defunding the police and changing policing procedures as the solution , but these are hardly experts talking . This phenomenon is not a new one , nor is it one that will simply go away . There are many different reasons for the rhetoric against law enforcement and most are based upon bad actions of few individuals . Unfortunately , every police officer is paying the price for their bad behavior . Instead of waiting for the narrative to shape the solution , law enforcement still has an opportunity to create avenues to engage the public and build their trust and support .
While many argue the media has an agenda or news reports are either false or exaggerated for ratings and sensationalism , it is uncertain what effect these stories have on ordinary citizens and their perception of the police . A recent Gallup poll of public confidence in police reported the lowest rating in 22 years . It suggested the death of black men “ while being arrested by white police officers ” 1 influenced some of the numbers . They went on to note , “ these events likely contributed to the decline in confidence in police , although it is important to note that Americans ’ trust in police has not been fundamentally shaken---it remains high in an absolute sense , despite being at a historical low ” 2 . In today ’ s tumultuous world , it is imperative for law enforcement agencies to consider the various resources available to prevent many of the tragedies regularly seen in the news . One such resource is a set of professional standards developed by an outside entity , created by practitioners and community members to improve professionalism in law enforcement . The State of Georgia has always been a leader in the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies ( CALEA ) accreditation program and Georgia Law Enforcement Certification Program ( often referred to as State Certification ). While State Certification and CALEA are different in many ways , they have two important things in common : both programs offer enhanced professional standards with an independent review and an accountability process for participating agencies .
20 SUMMER . 2021