BrattleboroCitizensBreakfast

January23,2015
GibsonAikenCenter

BreakfastwiththeBrattleboroChiefofPolice
MichaelFitzgerald
Michael.Fitzgerald@state.vt.us

(802)2577950
http://brattleboropolice.org/

ChiefMichaelFitzgeraldspokeaboutthevisionhehasfortheBrattleboroPDasitrelatesto
thecommunity.NooneisimmunefromtheimpactoftherecenteventsinFerguson,MO.
Whatisneededisthatweallsitdownandhaveacandidandindepthconversationwiththe
community.

HavingreadthefindingsofarecentLawEnforcementSummitonPoliceCommunity
RelationsatanInternationalAssociationofChiefsofPoliceconferencewhichincluded
participationfromtheACLU,NAACP,NOBLE,educatorsandresearchers,theChiefnoted
thatBrattleboroPDhasalreadyactedonmanyofthefundings.
http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/ExecutiveSummaryIACPCommunityPoliceR
elationsSummit.pdf

Thecommunityiscomplex,madeupasitisofmen,womenandchildren,ofpersonswith
varioussexualpreferences,ofthosewhoarehomeless,ofpersonswithvaryingsocialand
economiclevelsandofthosewithmentalhealthissues.Thequestionishowlawenforcement
conductsitsbusinesswhileservingeveryoneandbeinginclusive.Therearethreeprinciples
thatwillhelp:

communicationwhichmustberespectfulandopen
partnershipemphasizingteamworkTheDepartmentneedstoworkwithother
programsandcollaborationsandreachouttoallpartsofthecommunity.
trustbeingethicalandresponsible

Opencommunicationmeansthereisnothingtohide.Theimpactofperceivednegative
criticismofthedepartmentshouldbetoeducateorimprove.Ifsomethingiswrong,weneed
tobeaccountableandfixit.Ifitisaperception,weneedtoexplainwhywedidwhatwe
did.Themediaareoftengoodatsensationalizinganevent.Thepolicedepartmentneedsto
getthewordoutaboutthegoodworkbeingdone.

Internaldepartmentcommunicationisalsoimportant.Thisfallsbackonleadership.The
officersneedtounderstandtheChiefsphilosophyandvisionthereneedstobeconsistent
communication.

Transparencyshouldfostertrust.Admittedly,therearesomelegalconstraintsincertainareas
concerningthetypesofinformationthatcanbereleased,but,overall,thedepartmentshould
beanopenbook.Ifyouneedinformation,cometothepolicedepartment.Ifthereisavoid,
itwillbefilled,sopeoplewillgetinformationfromaneighbororspouse.Itisimportantto
becomeeducatedintheprocess.

Weneedtoreviewanddefineroles,responsibilitiesandpriorities,strengthsandweaknesses.

SuccessisdefinedbyoutcomesuccessisdefinedbythecitizensofBrattleboro.

Weneedtoaddressconcernsandfearsanddispelmyths.Thereare
no

quotas
onarrestsor
motorvehiclestops,noprizeattheendoftheyearfortheofficerwritingthemosttickets.
Successisthenumberofretailtheftsandmotorvehicleviolationsthatdidnthappen.

Thereisimplicitbiaswehaveunconsciousbias.Wemakedecisionsbasedonfearand
stereotypes.Policewillalsohaveimplicitbias.Thisisaconcernthatcanfixedthrough:
(1)recruitmentthedepartmentshouldreflectthecommunitywearelookingatthe
hiringprocess.currently,vacanciesarepostedonthe
Departmentwebsite
,andthe
VermontPoliceAcademywebsite
.Thereareplanstogofurtherwewantthecitizens
ofBrattleborotoworkfortheBrattleboroPD.
(2)trainingthroughacontractwiththeVermontPartnershipforFairnessand
Diversity,atrainthetrainerworkshopwillbeheldonunconsciousbias.
(3)policyunderwayisarevisionofeverysingledepartmentalpolicy
(4)dialogwiththecommunity
(5)leadershipforjustandfairpolicing

RecentlyeverymemberofthePoliceDepartmentwaspresentattheSelectboardtoretake
theoathofoffice.Weallneedtorememberwhywearehereandwhatwearedoing.

TheDepartmentisaspokeinthewheel,butonethataccessesonadailybasisallsegments
ofthecommunity:peoplewhoarehomeless,withaddictionsofdifferingsocioeconomic
levels,religionsandsexualpreferences.

Forpeoplewhoneedhelp,weneedtohaveapartnership.Ifwedontgototheroot,wecant
dealwiththeproblemseffectively.Trespassinganindividualfromonelocationafteranother
willnotsolvetheproblem....iftheywanthelp.ThePoliceDepartmentmeetsregularlywith
socialserviceagencies,agenciesthroughthejudiciary,educationalinstitutions,merchants
andthecommunity.

The
CitizenPoliceCommunicationsCommittee
meetsthe4thMondayofeverymonthat
5:30pmattheBrooksMemorialLibraryprovidingalessintimidatingforumtoreview
complaintsandtounderstanddepartmentalpolicies.

TheChiefspoketotheneedtohavealllevelsofthedepartment,Supervisors,Captains,
Lieutenants,SergeantsandOfficerstohaveaconsistentunderstandingofthemessage.

TheCoffeewithaCopprogramisunstructuredthereisnoagenda.citizenscantalkabout
whateverisontheirminds.Twotothreeofficersareusuallypresent,butifquestionsare
referredtotheChief,hewillpersonallygetbackwiththepersonmakingtheinquiry.The
programhasbeenwellreceived.

Moreofficersarepatrollingdowntown,loggingsome1,800hours.Technologyisgreatand
moderncruisersarethenewpoliceoffices,buttheyarenoreplacementforpersonalcontact.

Communitypolicinghasbecomeabuzzwordthathaslostmeaning.Itisreallyjustcommon
sensepolicingofthe1950s:walkingdowntownandtalkingwithpeople.Itsaboutgetting
backtobasicsandrespect.

Thedepartmentreviewstrafficstops.Allcruisershavecamerasandsupervisorsrandomly
pullcruiservideosonaweeklybasisandreviewthosewiththeofficers,lookingatsafety
concerns,thereasonforthestop,howthedriverwastreated,howtheofficerwastreated.

Areviewofpoliciesisalsohappening.Policinghaschangedandpolicieshavenotbeen
reviewedinsometime.Asdepartmentsdecidewhethertousebodycameras,issues
surroundingexpectationsofprivacymaysurfaceandberesolvedthroughcaselaw.Should
therebetimeswhenanofficerturnsofforturnsonabodycam?Whataboutresponsetoa
domesticincidentinahome?

Insummary,communityrelationsisestablishedbyleadership,involvingtheTown,the
communityandthepolice.

Successhappenswhenopportunityknocks.

Aquestionandanswerperiodfollowed.