SCPD put together 22 recommendations for change in how we police . These recommendations can be found at ChiefMills . com . Most changes we can implement internally ; some will take Council approval . Yet , we desire to see them through to the end . When the community feels safe , fewer mistakes are made , and our officers are safer as a result .
2 : We watched and learned from others ' mistakes to tighten up our policy and procedures . Police leaders should be more proactive in controlling behavior before making
catastrophic mistakes . Now we are working with the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Reggie Stephens Foundation to bring us closer together with communities of color . The Warriors are the G-League franchise of the Golden State Warriors and many of their players end up in the NBA . Our command staff met with their coaching staff to understand what it is like to be a Black man in modern-day America . Particularly , we examined the interaction between the police and men of color . The discussion was fascinating and challenging for both sides .
Each of them had accounts where they were stopped and questioned for extended periods for no apparent reason . Over lunch , former NFL player Reggie Stephens talked about his experience with the police . It was heartbreaking yet hopeful .
Reggie ’ s story reminded me of the Bible verse in Genesis : " You intended me harm , but God intended it for good . He brought me
into this position so that many lives could be saved ." ( New Living Testament ) That sums up the Reggie Stephens story .
The next step is for the SC Warriors and the SCPD is to construct a mentoring program between our officers and the players , organizations , and the community . Through genuine humility and neighborhood policing , we can build severable bonds with all communities . Even with the communities that right now don ' t trust us .
3 : When people perceive they are mistreated during a police contact , and they see incredible injustice in the media , they believe that could have been them . Fear of the police increases and causes hypervigilance . Hypervigilance is
something any cop understands . The deaths of Mr . Floyd and Ms . Taylor , among others , will alter the way we lead our departments and community . Building closer relationships is just a place to start . Reform cannot stop there . By talking with your communities , you too can help address the systemic problems we see across the nation . We are proud of the work so far , but much more needs to be done . We look forward to our continued conversations with these communities to come together as one community and one nation . By bringing those to the table who disagree with us and by listening , we all can address these problems , but it will take all of us .
WINTER 2020 | CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF 27