The police play a major role in the functioning of the regular society. However, for an effective and efficient law enforcement team, an increased exposure to the social conditions, greater empathy backed by the strong mental health of an officer is of utmost need. The year 2018 had seen a 12% increase in the number of officers who were shot and killed while on duty, with 144 officers being killed so far compared to 129 officers in 2017 (according to the year-end report for 2018). According to a report from a nonprofit group called Blue H.E.L.P, not less than 129 officers committed suicide.
To address this failure of the American law enforcement, the Northeastern University’s police department together with the Cambridge city designed a programme that would help the police connect better with the public. The programme aims to direct law enforcement towards greater public engagement while keeping the traditional rules of training intact. The Northeastern University is being keen on innovation plans like having the trainees introduce themselves to a new individual every week for a casual conversation, these conversations are to be reported back to the academy for evaluation.
The academy also wishes to encourage more uniformity between the departments as student officers are disciplined to wear the same colour uniform and badges. The underlying motive is to demote the feeling of superiority of the police, thus promoting cohesiveness between the public and the officers. There are 28 students at the academy, with 3 females between the ages of 23 to 39 years.
The new generation of individuals supposedly lacks interpersonal skills, awareness of their body language which the program offered by the academy promises to improve in the potential officers in the future. To conclude, the program will enhance the potential in officers and also explore a new route to better policing for years to come.
Mayuri Talgaonkar