The NOPD is relatively small, with only 1,271 officers as of 2012. Not all officers have the best of reputations, especially with today's problems. This doesn't make them bad people. Sometimes these officers are put under lots of stress and simply lose control. Luckily the NOPD has come up with a solution. New Orleans officers and outside experts have worked together to form a program to help officers notice and step in when a fellow officer is close to taking the wrong action. This program is based off the work of retired psychology professor Ervin Staub. Ervin grew up in Hungary during the time of the nazis, and was hidden with his family by a Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg. Staub dedicated his life to the study of good and evil and why some people remain bystanders until the situation becomes violent. Even though only 1/3rd of the police force has taken the course and many have thought of it as hard to put into action, the NOPD is still doing everything it possibly can to keep both its officers and citizens safe.
Analysis: This article was written by Campbell Robertson on August 28th, 2016, so it is very current. I'm not sure where it was written, but it most likely wasn't in New Orlean. Robertson probably spoke to people in the NOPD and and other members of the program to get the facts he needed and there's also quotes from officers and others. Although I've never been to New Orleans, I have read about the city, watched news clips from local news stations, and of course read articles on previous natural disasters and the shooting that occurred on the weekend of July 23rd. Because of this I feel like I have a bit more sympathy for the police officers. I understand that they're under lots of stress to keep the population save without having to hurt anyone, and sometimes that can be difficult when you've dealt with large amounts of people or you've had little sleep. I interpreted the article as a positive take on the actions the NOPD is taking to work for a better police force.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/us/a-new-orleans-program-teaches-officers-to-police-each-other.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Police_Department
I think that this program could provide as a safety net to officers who are unsure of their actions. Other people's opinions are really important, and could potentially save someone from being in danger.
ReplyDeleteThis article has an important tie with our current policing issues, especially regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. I believe that, with better training techniques like these, citizens will feel safer and officers will feel more confident protecting their people.
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