OPINION

Trust, not technology, will prevent the next 'Ferguson'

Statesman Journal Editorial Board

Now that tensions have subsided slightly in Ferguson, Missouri, it's time to have a conversation about Oregon.

The fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer in Ferguson became the 2014 example of how not to handle law enforcement or race relations.

This is not to condemn the officer's actions — at least not yet. All of us should withhold judgment until the local and federal authorities complete their separate investigations into what led Officer Darren Wilson to shoot 18-year-old Michael Brown on a suburban street on Aug. 9. But the police department's overbearing, tin-eared response to the ensuing protests damaged relationships even further.

That some people engaged in rioting and looting, not peaceful protests, also was reprehensible. The situation was so bad that first outside police and then the National Guard were brought in. On Friday, the Guard was sent home.

Much of the subsequent debate has focused on technology and equipment: Should police officers be equipped with body cams — wearable video cameras that record an officer's actions? Is the U.S. militarizing local police departments by providing them with surplus military equipment, such as armored personnel carriers and ear-splitting acoustic noise weapons, which were used to control crowds in Ferguson?

As with dash cams — dashboard mounted video cameras in patrol cars — body cams likely will become standard police equipment over time. But equipment is neither the cause nor the cure for what went terribly wrong in Ferguson. Rather, the issue is whether local law enforcement and the public have learned to trust each other. Trust means that someone in authority can make a mistake but the relationships are so strong that people will withhold judgment until the facts come out.

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It's a credit to all sides that Mid-Valley police agencies generally have good relationships with the public. Trust remains intact, at least so far, despite a number of officer-involved shootings in recent years.

The events in Ferguson underscore the importance of law enforcement's providing accurate information to the public, and doing so as soon as possible. That remains an issue in the Mid-Valley. In the absence of facts, people fill in the blanks themselves, sometimes erroneously.

One way that Mid-Valley residents can help law enforcement is by encouraging more people of color to enter that profession. Oregon is becomingly increasingly diverse. Salem is nearly 80 percent Caucasian, but its future — the children in Salem-Keizer public schools — is 50 percent Caucasian, and more than 70 native languages are spoken in students' homes. Community institutions are stronger and more effective when they fully reflect the diversity of the people they serve.

Over the years, law enforcement agencies have devoted more attention to building respectful relationships with residents, which is critical in solving and preventing crimes. Police have learned that even lawbreakers need to be treated respectfully, as that will lead to a better outcome in the end.

"We have to have compassion and honor and respect in all of our dealings with the public," Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore said.

The same goes for the public. All of us have a role in building those relationships with police officers so that mutual trust, understanding and respect hold firm even when something goes wrong.

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