RUSSELL.
RUSSELL. >>> A HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
POLICE SAYING PRESIDENT TRUMP
SIGNING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON
POLICE REFORM YESTERDAY
FOLLOWING THREE WEEKS OF
PROTESTS DEMANDING RACIAL
INEQUALITY AND AN END TO POLICE
BRUTALITY.
BRUTALITY. JOINING US LIVE TO ADD SOME
PERSPECTIVE IS THE RETIRED
CHIEF DEPUTY OF DEKALB COUNTY.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M DOING WELL.
>> PRESIDENT TERMS ORDER, WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT
THROUGHOUT THE SHOW.
IT CALLS FOR MORE FEDERAL MONEY
TO POLICE DEPARTMENT AIMED AT
TRAINING REFORMS AND
TRANSPARENCY AND SO MUCH MORE.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN HEARING FROM
BLACK FAMILIES IMPACTED BY
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE. THEY ARE SAYING IT JUST DOESN'T
GO FAR ENOUGH.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE
SAYING HERE AND CAN YOU EXPAND
ON THAT?
ON THAT?
ON THAT? >> WELL, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I THINK THAT THERE MAY BE MANY
STEPS, SMALL STEPS IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. HOWEVER, REFORM WITHOUT
APPLICATION IS STILL NOT THE
RIGHT MOVEMENT. WE NEED TO PUT
FORTH APPLICATION TO MAKE SURE
WE CAN GO OUT FROM THE
LEADERSHIP STANDPOINT AND FROM
A COMMAND STANDPOINT. WE NEED
TO GET OUTSIDE OF THE WALLS OF
OUR ADMINISTRATIVE HOLLOWS AND
OUR OFFICES AND THE COMMANDERS,
THE CHIEFS, AND THE SHERIFF'S,
WE HAVE TO GO OUT INTO THE
STREETS.
STREETS.
STREETS. TALK TO THEM AND SAY, HOW CAN
WE HELP YOU SUFFER LESS?
I THINK THAT WILL BEGIN TO
DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT
WILL DO WORK.
>> COMMUNITY POLICING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> WE HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT DE-
ESCALATION AND HAVE SEEN MANY
INSTANCES SINCE THE POLICE
CUSTODY DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD.
IF DE-ESCALATION WERE PUT IN
PLACE, OUTCOME WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN WHAT IT WAS.
DO YOU THINK AT THIS TIME THAT
IS POSSIBLE CONSIDERING THE
TRAINING THAT HAS HAPPENED OVER
ALL OF THESE YEARS?
TAKE A VETERAN POLICE OFFICER.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRULY PUT DE-
ESCALATION IN PLACE WITHOUT
STARTING A NEW?
>> OFTENTIMES IT DEPENDS ON THE
SITUATION.
SITUATION. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE
ARE MORE OFFICERS WITH REALISTIC
TRAINING TO MAKE SURE THEY
UNDERSTAND ON EVERYTHING THAT
YOU APPROACH, YOUR ORIGINAL
OBJECTIVE IS TO CALM THE
WATERS.
WATERS.
WATERS. IF WE CAN GET THAT AS A
FOUNDATION,
FOUNDATION, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, WITH
RESPECT TO SEEING WHAT'S GOING
ON AND UNDERSTANDING THAT
PERSON AS A PERSON WITH EMPATHY
AND COMPASSION.
AND COMPASSION. I THINK WE DO THAT. WE STILL AT
THE SAME SCENARIO.
>> I HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM
FOLKS SAYING, I WOULD NOT WANT
A POLICE OFFICER RIGHT NOW. CAN
YOU TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF OFFICERS.
>> I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE
TIME TO SAY THANK YOU.
IT IS CHALLENGING TO BE A POLICE
OFFICER. MOST SPECIFICALLY, IT
IS CHALLENGING TO CLINICALLY
UNPACK THE THINGS THAT THEY SEE
ON EVERY DAY.
I THINK MOVING FORWARD, I THINK
WHAT WOULD HELP US, IF WE CAN
DO MANDATORY PSYCHOLOGICAL
TESTING AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
WHAT THAT WOULD DO FROM A
MANAGEMENT TOOL IS TO HELP ME
HELP THEM BECOME BETTER
OFFICERS, BETTER PARENTS,
BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE
COMMUNITY AND GIVE THEM A SENSE
OF RELEASE WITH RESPECT TO WHAT
THEY SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
RETIRED CHIEF DEPUTY, WE HAVE
RUN OUT OF TIME THEY WANTED TO
ASK YOU ABOUT SO MANY MORE
THINGS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE
YOUR TIME THIS