Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in New York City; Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. The list goes on.
All have become household names over the last year as black men who lost their lives at the hands of what many argue is a brutal and racist culture in police departments across the nation.
Most recently, McKinney, Texas, police officer Eric Casebolt resigned from his position after he was recorded responding to a reported fight at a pool party where he threw a 14-year-old girl to the ground and pointed his gun at several teenagers.
The Oak Park Police Department announced Monday that15 of its officers will participate in a training class that focuses on so-called procedural justice, “a concept that says how individuals view the justice system is tied more to the perceived fairness of the process and how they were treated, rather than the outcome.”
“Fairness is a cornerstone of the Oak Park Police Department, and officers are expected to show respect and understanding in all encounters,” Police Chief Rick Tanksley said in a press release. “But as policing methods continue to evolve, it is important to never stop exploring approaches that may help us make sure our actions are not only what we believe to be in the best interests of the citizens we are sworn to serve and protect, but also perceived that way by those we police.”
Commander Erica Ramsay said in a telephone interview that the training program is sponsored through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing and developed by the King County Sheriff’s Office in Seattle, Washington.
The training aims to inform police how their decisions can increase cooperation from public and promote trust with the police or result in confrontation.
Ramsay said the Oak Park Police Department is among the first police forces in the nation to undergo the training.
“The chief took an interest in the topic of procedural justice because of things that are going on throughout the country,” Ramsay said.
Tanksley said in the news release, “Exercising authority in a manner that is fair and just is essential to ensuring a positive outcome. This training is designed to give our officers additional tools to help them respond appropriately and fairly regardless of the circumstances.”
Ramsay said the training is part of the department’s effort to provide continuing education to officers, noting that many officers also have recently attended crisis intervention training, how to approach the mentally ill and other community policing programs.
“Here’s one more way we can educate our officers,” she said.
Oak Park police noted in a press release that the department already has received high marks from residents on their treatment by police, even those issued citations.
A study conducted in 2014 by the University of Illinois Chicago showed that 76.7 percent of those surveyed in Oak Park in 2014 who had a police-initiated encounter said they were very satisfied with the officer’s conduct. That’s compared to 59 percent in similar jurisdictions, the Oak Park Police Department reported in March.
That number rose to 77.6 percent very satisfied with encounters initiated by citizens with the police, compared to 61 percent in similar jurisdictions.
“We know from research that our officers treat everyone with respect, regardless of whether police initiated an encounter or they were responding to a call for service,” Tanksley said. “But that doesn’t mean we should be satisfied and stop learning. Training is essential to making sure we never forget who we serve and why.”
Contact: tim@oakpark.com
