“Unfortunately, communities disproportionately affected by crime are those” with the most strained relationships with police, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told reporters during the Police Executive Research Forum annual meeting in Seattle, reports the Seattle Times. To improve those relationships, people need to see “us as legitimate in our ability to enforce laws fairly and impartially,” he said.
To that end, there’s a growing movement now under way in policing, said Newark Chief Garry McCarthy. “The fact is, we’re in the process of constructing the next iteration of police work,” he said. “Initially, police were very reactive,” responding to crimes after they’d been committed, he said. “Then proactive policing came in, and we talked about preventing crime. The next step is preventing crime in concert and with the blessings of the community. It’s where we’re going as a profession.”