During my college days and studying Justice Administration and Police Science I was introduced to Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing. Those ideals stuck with me over the years, and created a solid foundation for how I would view police departments and particularly how they conducted their duties in the communities they served. This knowledge was strengthened further through direct life experience during my policing practicum at Kean College, New Jersey in 1983. It was during that summer I worked directly with various NYPD officers providing me with a deep and intimate understanding of policing on the streets of New York City.
Fast forward to 2020 and my opportunity to write a newspaper column for the Times Colonist (TC) in Victoria, BC. It just made sense to begin with a series of articles that would highlight Sir Robert Peel’s principles. Never had I imagined that I would be writing this column during such turbulent times, and the strong movement towards defunding or abolishing police departments around the world.
For the convenience of our readers links to the 9-part series are below:
A new vision to prevent crime and disorder
Difficult decisions face police and politicians
Paradigm shift is not ending of police, it’s a beginning
Use of force should compel us to learn more
We’re at a crossroads in policing drugs and homelessness
More listening could reduce use of force by police
Increased citizenship supports our police services
Police must function within the justice system
Principles of policing from 1829 still apply today
Stay safe, and healthy.
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