INTERACT WITH GET HOME SAFELY AT
THE END OF THE INTERACTION.
>> AND SCOTT THOMPSON, IT’S GOOD
TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WE HAD TALKED EARLIER AFTER YOU
LED CAMDEN THROUGH A COMPLETE
REBUILDING PROCESS.
YOU HAD EVERYBODY DISBANDED,
INCLUDING YOURSELF, AND THEN
REBUILT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN
CAMDEN FROM THE GROUND UP.
AND IN FACT BROUGHT DOWN THE
VIOLENCE LEVELS.
TELL US HOW YOU MANAGED TO DO
THAT.
>> ANDREA, IN 2012, IT WAS
ARGUABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST
HOURS IN TERMS OF OUR CITY IN
TERMS OF CRIME, POVERTY, THE
FAILURES OF THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM, EVENT ORGANIZATION WHICH
I CAME UP IN WAS ONE THAT HAD
GROWN TO BE APATHETIC,
LETHARGIC.
THE POLITICAL DECISION WAS MADE
TO DISBAND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND CREATE A NEW ONE, CREATE A
COUNTY POLICE FORCE, ONE THAT
WOULD GIVE US THE ABILITY TO
BUILD CULTURE AS OPPOSED TO
TRYING TO OVERCOME THE
RESISTANCE OF CHANGE IN CULTURE.
AND WE REALLY FOCUSED ON THREE
BEDROCK PRINCIPLES.
EVERY NEW MEMBER OF THIS
ORGANIZATION WERE GOING TO BE
GUARDIANS AND NOT WARRIORS.
WE WERE GOING TO ENGAGE IN
ENHANCED COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.
AND THAT DE-ESCALATION WAS GOING
TO BE ENGRAINED IN THE CULTURE
OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE WANTED OUR OFFICERS TO --
WE’VE DEMANDED OF OUR OFFICERS,
WE’RE GOING TO IDENTIFY MORE
WITH BEING A MEMBER OF THE PEACE
CORPS THAN BEING A SPECIAL
FORCES OPERATOR.
THIS WAS ROOTED IN PUTTING THE
MINDSET OF WHAT IS THE
DEFINITION OF INSANITY.
WE LOOK AT THE SAME PROBLEMS
THAT CONTINUE TO BE SEEMINGLY
INTRACTABLE AND WE WOULD GO AT
IT WITH THE SAME APPROACH,
EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT.
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ARREST OUR
WAY AND USE MIGHT AND FORCE IN
NEIGHBORHOODS, WE TOOK A
DIFFERENT APPROACH.
WE TOLD THE COPS, STOP WRITING
PEOPLE UP, STOP WRITING TICKETS,
BE A GUARDIAN, OCCUPY THE PUBLIC
SPACE, BE A FACILITATOR, A
CONVENER, A PERSON THAT CAN
COALESCE AND HEAL A COMMUNITY.
IF WE CAN REMAIN THERE WITH A
SENSE OF PRESENCE AS OPPOSED TO
JUST TRYING TO INSTITUTIONALIZE
EVERYONE IN THERE, WE CAN MOVE
THE NEEDLE.
AND THE RESULT OF THAT WAS THAT
WE REDUCED MURDERS BY NEARLY
70%.
IT’S BEEN SUSTAINABLE FOR THE
LAST SEVEN YEARS, IT CONTINUES
ON A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY OF
50-YEAR LOWS IN CRIME.
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY
WHEREIN THERE WERE HIGH LEVELS
OF DISDAIN AND MISTRUST, TO ONE
IN WHICH WE’RE CO-EXISTING,
BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP MORE AND
MORE EACH AND EVERY DAY AND
MAKING OUR COMMUNITY BETTER,
SAFER, NOT JUST FOR THE
RESIDENTS, BUT FOR THE OFFICERS
AS WELL.
SO IT WAS A COMPLETE PARADIGM
SHIFT.
>> AND DO YOU THINK THAT THE
BRANDING OF "DEFUND THE POLICE"
IS TOO HOT POLITICALLY TO MAKE
IT VIABLE ON CAPITOL HILL?
IT DOESN’T ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN
WHAT YOU DID IN CAMDEN WHICH WAS
TO BASICALLY TAKE THE DEPARTMENT
APARTMENT AND REBUILD IT
COMPLETELY.
>> ANDREA, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
RIGHT NOW, I’VE HEARD SEVERAL
DEFINITIONS FOR "DEFUND."
WE NEED TO LAND ON ONE SO WE CAN
HAVE A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION
ABOUT WHAT TO DO.
DO I THINK GETTING RID OF POLICE
ALTOGETHER IS A VIABLE OPTION?
NO, I DO NOT.
DO I THINK THAT PUTTING MORE
RESOURCES TO ROOT ISSUES CAN
LEAD TO BETTER RESULTS?
YEAH, I DO.
I SAW THAT IN CAMDEN CITY.
NO ONE WAS DOING IT.
AS LONG AS WE DID THAT, THINGS
WERE GETTING BETTER.
SO I THINK MOST PROGRESSIVE
POLICE CHIEFS IN THIS COUNTRY
WOULD CONCUR WITH ME THAT I
WOULD HAVE TRADED TEN COPS FOR
ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE AND
PRODUCTIVE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
WITHIN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE
I SAW THE ISSUES THAT THEY WERE
ADDRESSING AND FIXING.
THEY WERE FIXING THE THINGS THAT
WERE LEADING TO THE SYMPTOM OF
CRIME WHICH WE WERE CONTINUALLY
INTERFACING WITH.
IT’S TIME TO GO UPSTREAM AND
START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE
REAL ISSUES IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
AND WE’LL HAVE FAR LESS ON THE
BACK END OF THINGS.
AND LASTLY, I’LL ALSO SAY,
ANDREA, AS LONG AS WE KEEP
ASKING POLICE OFFICERS TO ENTER
SPACE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND
EXPECT THEM TO REMEDY ISSUES
SUCH AS MENTAL ILLNESS,
HOMELESSNESS AND ADDICTION,
WE’LL CONTINUE TO SEE A MOVIE