Another significant change this year is the prominent call for police reform after the summer protests . Even incidents of racial tension that occur thousands of miles away can touch every community . Changes are constant in public safety ; however , the crowd tactics and issues usually seen in the large metropolitan cities began to appear in smaller communities . The demand to defund the police and government leaders calling to abolish police departments at such a wide scope was unprecedented . Santa Rosa , a city of 178,000 , experienced five consecutive nights of violent protests . The extent and nature of the violence was something we have never seen in our city ’ s history . Protests were organic , beginning peacefully during the day and turning to violence under cover of darkness . The anxiety of police brutality is impacting police programs that historically had few to no complaints , such as school resource officers . Last year , Santa Rosa school districts asked our department to expand our SRO program . Today , the city ’ s largest school district is on the verge of removing officers from campuses , after a recent hasty survey showed that 8 % of students dislike police . At the same time , board members point to external events to question the virtue of our SRO program .
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National incidents , and the fast pace of news and social edia , spark controversy . Departments using best practices will still be judged on the procedures and actions in other states . Some changes will be difficult but necessary . The removal of the carotid restraint became one of the first major changes that will impact California law enforcement forever . Crowd control techniques and impacts on crowd psychology will be reevaluated . Other changes that law enforcement has desired for some time , such as mental health reform , have accelerated due to a need for more progress , sooner , in our national emergency .
Could we have foreseen the changes this year to prepare for a pandemic , the consequent recession , and the summer riots ? Some may argue yes , but you know what they say about hindsight , and the speed at which change came this year seemed exceedingly difficult to predict . Still , 2020 has taught us that we must always be prepared for it . Likewise , it is more important than ever to know that we must lead the change . The Cal Chief ’ s platform “ Leading the Way ” is just the start . It will be important to utilize this time in history to seek the changes leaders have desired to enhance accountability and credibility . National training standards will and should change . What should not change is our commitment to build trust and provide quality service that instills public confidence , so our communities see officers as legitimate and reasonable authority figures . We need to focus on our Code of Ethics to remember that we are called to a professional service , with the courage and integrity to meet challenges , make a difference , and build the necessary trust — and a better future .
WINTER 2020 | CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF 29