I thought readers might be interested in seeing the ways that various brands have responded to the current political climate. To be clear, I am a marketing and business executive, with no particular expertise in cultural diversity. As such, I will do my best to “stick to my knitting” and just write about what I know.
With they myriad of issues surrounding policing and I am going to stick to actionable solutions, not problems and minimize the emotional charge of racism.
Issue #1 - Lack Of Community Integration
Law enforcement atrocities will continue to persist and will only exacerbate unless police forces across the country fully integrate officers into the community. With only 60% of officers in major metros living in the communities they serve, they have no relationships with the people they serve. I will use a "data set of one" to describe this scenario. TT is "acting a fool", TT is approached by a law enforcement officer and TT's buddies are around.
Now, here are two approaches
Approach 1. Officer begins to arrest and detain TT. Well, this is now a badge of honor for TT if I stand up in front in front of the aggressors.
Approach 2. Officer says "I am going to tell your mother. You know better. Go home."
Which one will work better to diffuse the situation?
Since companies are pushing "work from home" now, it is time they tell law enforcement to "work near their home".
Issue #2 Law Enforcement Laziness
This report about your hometown in Seattle says it all: https://bit.ly/2MmtrLd. The open drug market in Pioneer Square is a haven for easy arrests and allows officers to hit their numbers. Case closed, right? Meanwhile, across the lake there is also a an open drug at the QFC parking lot in Sammamish. Kids steal their parents' opioids and sell them to soccer moms lined up in Toyota Sienna's. The kids in Pioneer Square get sent to Marysville (prison), the kids in Sammamish get sent to USC.
Another negative externality of racism: laziness.
Issue #3. Law Enforcement Entitlement
Now, this is insane and I will be vague to protect the identities of those involved. I lived in Long Island in a small town that was 45% Irish and 45% Italian and 10% everyone else. The Irish took political power and the new mayor wanted to clean up the budget of the police force. The new mayor at the time found that the police in this small town of 6,000 had:
6 weeks paid vacation
20 paid holidays
20 brand new Crown Victorias
2 brand new Ford Expeditions
1 Segue Scooter
One of the paid holidays was Rosa Parks Day. Yes, Rosa Parks day. These officers also earned 6 figure plus salaries and most spent time in the NYPD prior to moving over. Cushy job, right?
You bet. Why? If there was a felony committed in the town, they could not arrest the suspect.
They had to call the county.
There were roughly 16 African Americans in that town including self. None of us had Rosa Parks day off. In fact, we never knew it existed as an official holiday. This is a glaring example of pissing in ones face and saying it is rain.
If companies really want to help, they should focus on law enforcement reform across the board. They should demand community based policing, they should demand excellence, not laziness, from their law enforcement and they should demand efficiency and not turn a blind eye to law enforcement entitlement.
Now if they "really wanted to be a part of the solution" then they should lend their expertise in relationship management to improve policing.
This relatively neutral and benign approach may seem like a "cop out", but it is not. It is a start that is actionable, measurable and effective. It will enable firms to stay in their lane while simultaneously protecting citizens they serve.
Ed-
With they myriad of issues surrounding policing and I am going to stick to actionable solutions, not problems and minimize the emotional charge of racism.
Issue #1 - Lack Of Community Integration
Law enforcement atrocities will continue to persist and will only exacerbate unless police forces across the country fully integrate officers into the community. With only 60% of officers in major metros living in the communities they serve, they have no relationships with the people they serve. I will use a "data set of one" to describe this scenario. TT is "acting a fool", TT is approached by a law enforcement officer and TT's buddies are around.
Now, here are two approaches
Approach 1. Officer begins to arrest and detain TT. Well, this is now a badge of honor for TT if I stand up in front in front of the aggressors.
Approach 2. Officer says "I am going to tell your mother. You know better. Go home."
Which one will work better to diffuse the situation?
Here is a dataset to back this up: https://53eig.ht/2Xp9h9F
Since companies are pushing "work from home" now, it is time they tell law enforcement to "work near their home".
Issue #2 Law Enforcement Laziness
This report about your hometown in Seattle says it all: https://bit.ly/2MmtrLd. The open drug market in Pioneer Square is a haven for easy arrests and allows officers to hit their numbers. Case closed, right? Meanwhile, across the lake there is also a an open drug at the QFC parking lot in Sammamish. Kids steal their parents' opioids and sell them to soccer moms lined up in Toyota Sienna's. The kids in Pioneer Square get sent to Marysville (prison), the kids in Sammamish get sent to USC.
Another negative externality of racism: laziness.
Issue #3. Law Enforcement Entitlement
Now, this is insane and I will be vague to protect the identities of those involved. I lived in Long Island in a small town that was 45% Irish and 45% Italian and 10% everyone else. The Irish took political power and the new mayor wanted to clean up the budget of the police force. The new mayor at the time found that the police in this small town of 6,000 had:
6 weeks paid vacation
20 paid holidays
20 brand new Crown Victorias
2 brand new Ford Expeditions
1 Segue Scooter
One of the paid holidays was Rosa Parks Day. Yes, Rosa Parks day. These officers also earned 6 figure plus salaries and most spent time in the NYPD prior to moving over. Cushy job, right?
You bet. Why? If there was a felony committed in the town, they could not arrest the suspect.
They had to call the county.
There were roughly 16 African Americans in that town including self. None of us had Rosa Parks day off. In fact, we never knew it existed as an official holiday. This is a glaring example of pissing in ones face and saying it is rain.
If companies really want to help, they should focus on law enforcement reform across the board. They should demand community based policing, they should demand excellence, not laziness, from their law enforcement and they should demand efficiency and not turn a blind eye to law enforcement entitlement.
Now if they "really wanted to be a part of the solution" then they should lend their expertise in relationship management to improve policing.
This relatively neutral and benign approach may seem like a "cop out", but it is not. It is a start that is actionable, measurable and effective. It will enable firms to stay in their lane while simultaneously protecting citizens they serve.
TT