Law Enforcement and Public Safety Institutional Assessment & Change
The internal assessment of law enforcement organizations is an essential skill for leaders and managers in the 21st Century. In this module, I focus on Deadly Force Use of Force policy, Resiliency and Stress Mitigation for police officers, and a model Task Force Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address a criminal street gang. The University of San Diego Master’s program clarifies a student’s skills so they can apply this knowledge and implement it in their agency. A manager of a public agency must be open-minded and willing to accept change and then be prepared to propose the new paradigm.
The first paper I present in this module is the Use of Force Executive Summary. This paper examined the current deadly force policies in effect in most police agencies today. A review of the two applicable Supreme Court decisions is discussed; Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Conner. Several controversial events and police shootings in this decade have forced state legislatures and police agencies to revisit these policies. The use of de-escalation tactics and techniques are being discussed and implemented in many agencies throughout the country. My second paper focuses on resiliency and stress mitigation for police officers. Law enforcement is a stressful occupation, and a police officer’s mental health has not been given the consideration it warrants. The third paper in this module profiles a Task Force MOU to target a criminal street gang for enforcement. This project was jointly conducted with three classmates.
In the Use of Force Executive Summary report, I examine the issues surrounding the public’s concern regarding the current use of force policies. The national debate in recent years has questioned the current policies on the deadly use of force. Consequently, many agencies across the United States are incorporating new language regarding de-escalation tactics. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing also advocates the incorporation of new de-escalation techniques. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has said that most police academy training is inadequate, and improved training should be addressed. In this report, I propose a new use of force policy adhering to the recommendations as outlined above.
In the second paper, I present a fictional memo to a captain in my agency proposing a new stress-mitigation program. I detail the causes of stress in police work and describe the associated physical changes that occur to an officer due to excessive cortisol production. Police officers have not been taught to regulate their emotions in response to traumatic situations. Therefore, I propose that the department contract with a vendor to conduct mindfulness and resiliency training. The training includes learning breathwork, yoga, pattern interruption, and quieting the mind. A more resilient police officer will be more effective and compassionate towards the community.
My third assignment in this module is an MOU proposing a new task force in conjunction with federal agencies and police departments to target a criminal street gang. The MOU is an extensive document and is modeled after previous joint local and federal task forces MOU’s. The MOU considers current best practices and is all-encompassing in scope by addressing the associated legal aspects of a task force, policies and procedures, budgeting, equipment, staffing, and the overall mission and goals.
My study of these issues helped honed knowledge and skills that are not routinely considered or experienced in law enforcement. Likewise, I can utilize this information to implement programs at my agency immediately. The contemporary issues of use of force policies, police resiliency, and a practical blueprint for a Task Force MOU are quickly deployable. Accordingly, the University of San Diego Master’s program offers real-world understanding and skills to professionally create policy, lead efficiently, and implement change in response to the community’s expectations.
The internal assessment of law enforcement organizations is an essential skill for leaders and managers in the 21st Century. In this module, I focus on Deadly Force Use of Force policy, Resiliency and Stress Mitigation for police officers, and a model Task Force Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address a criminal street gang. The University of San Diego Master’s program clarifies a student’s skills so they can apply this knowledge and implement it in their agency. A manager of a public agency must be open-minded and willing to accept change and then be prepared to propose the new paradigm.
The first paper I present in this module is the Use of Force Executive Summary. This paper examined the current deadly force policies in effect in most police agencies today. A review of the two applicable Supreme Court decisions is discussed; Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Conner. Several controversial events and police shootings in this decade have forced state legislatures and police agencies to revisit these policies. The use of de-escalation tactics and techniques are being discussed and implemented in many agencies throughout the country. My second paper focuses on resiliency and stress mitigation for police officers. Law enforcement is a stressful occupation, and a police officer’s mental health has not been given the consideration it warrants. The third paper in this module profiles a Task Force MOU to target a criminal street gang for enforcement. This project was jointly conducted with three classmates.
In the Use of Force Executive Summary report, I examine the issues surrounding the public’s concern regarding the current use of force policies. The national debate in recent years has questioned the current policies on the deadly use of force. Consequently, many agencies across the United States are incorporating new language regarding de-escalation tactics. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing also advocates the incorporation of new de-escalation techniques. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) has said that most police academy training is inadequate, and improved training should be addressed. In this report, I propose a new use of force policy adhering to the recommendations as outlined above.
In the second paper, I present a fictional memo to a captain in my agency proposing a new stress-mitigation program. I detail the causes of stress in police work and describe the associated physical changes that occur to an officer due to excessive cortisol production. Police officers have not been taught to regulate their emotions in response to traumatic situations. Therefore, I propose that the department contract with a vendor to conduct mindfulness and resiliency training. The training includes learning breathwork, yoga, pattern interruption, and quieting the mind. A more resilient police officer will be more effective and compassionate towards the community.
My third assignment in this module is an MOU proposing a new task force in conjunction with federal agencies and police departments to target a criminal street gang. The MOU is an extensive document and is modeled after previous joint local and federal task forces MOU’s. The MOU considers current best practices and is all-encompassing in scope by addressing the associated legal aspects of a task force, policies and procedures, budgeting, equipment, staffing, and the overall mission and goals.
My study of these issues helped honed knowledge and skills that are not routinely considered or experienced in law enforcement. Likewise, I can utilize this information to implement programs at my agency immediately. The contemporary issues of use of force policies, police resiliency, and a practical blueprint for a Task Force MOU are quickly deployable. Accordingly, the University of San Diego Master’s program offers real-world understanding and skills to professionally create policy, lead efficiently, and implement change in response to the community’s expectations.