The Future of Public Safety | Troy Riggs | TEDxWabashCollege
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, a veteran police officer, reflects on his 30-year career and criticizes the outdated training methods for police officers, which focus on patrolling and arresting rather than addressing root causes of crime. He advocates for a data-driven approach to understand and tackle issues like mass incarceration, poverty, and mental health, emphasizing the need for a public safety initiative that includes financial security, behavioral health support, and assistance for those left behind. The speaker calls for community involvement and accountability from officials to develop strategies for a safer and more equitable society.
Takeaways
- ๐ฎ The speaker, a veteran police officer, emphasizes the need for a reevaluation of police training methods, suggesting that current practices are outdated and incomplete.
- ๐ The speaker calls for a data-driven approach to understand and address the root causes of crime, including financial security, behavioral health, and the needs of those left behind in society.
- ๐๏ธ There is a critique of the mass incarceration system in the U.S., highlighting its unfairness and the need to address disparities in sentencing based on where individuals live.
- ๐ The importance of local data is underscored to illustrate the concentration of crime and poverty in specific areas within cities, using Indianapolis as an example.
- ๐ข The speaker points out the high correlation between areas of poverty and crime, suggesting that traditional policing methods are insufficient to address these issues.
- ๐ค A collaborative approach involving various public safety stakeholders, including probation and parole officers, courts, and prosecutors, is advocated for a more holistic approach to crime prevention.
- ๐ฅ The connection between mental health and crime is highlighted, with the speaker noting that a significant percentage of police-related shootings involve individuals with mental health issues.
- ๐ The script discusses the impact of addressing basic needs such as food security, using the example of Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis, which led to a noticeable reduction in crime.
- ๐ก The issue of reintegrating former prisoners into society is raised, with a focus on providing housing, jobs, and counseling to prevent recidivism.
- ๐๏ธ The Denver Opportunity Index is presented as a model for using data to understand and improve living conditions in specific areas, promoting a tailored approach to public safety.
- ๐ The speaker encourages citizens to engage actively with their local governments, demanding accountability and the use of data to develop effective community strategies.
Q & A
How long ago did the speaker take the oath to become a police officer?
-The speaker took the oath to become a police officer 30 years ago.
What significant events did the speaker participate in during their career?
-The speaker had conversations with two presidents about crime issues, sat down with two United States Attorney Generals to discuss juvenile crime, and testified before Congress on homeland security issues.
What does the speaker believe is the current state of police officer training?
-The speaker believes that the current police officer training methodology is incomplete and has not evolved significantly in the past 30 years.
What does the speaker suggest is the role of data in addressing crime and public safety?
-The speaker suggests that data is crucial for understanding what is happening in cities, revealing the ill effects of current policing methods, and informing strategies to address the root causes of crime.
What are the three pillars the speaker identifies as essential to public safety?
-The three pillars identified by the speaker are financial security, behavioral health, and support for those left behind.
How does the speaker describe the situation in the six key areas of Indianapolis?
-The speaker describes the situation as dire, with 4.7% of the population residing in areas that account for 27% of murders and 30% of non-fatal shootings, low education levels, high likelihood of mental health issues, and high unemployment rates.
What is the Denver Opportunity Index mentioned by the speaker?
-The Denver Opportunity Index is a data-based tool that ranks census tracts in the city of Denver based on the three pillars of financial security, behavioral health, and support for those left behind, to understand the living conditions and needs of different areas.
What impact did the Gleaners Food Bank have on crime rates after addressing food insecurity in Indianapolis?
-After addressing food insecurity by providing meals to people in areas of poverty, the Gleaners Food Bank observed a drop in crime rates by over ten percent a year later.
What is the significance of the speaker's call to action for American citizens?
-The speaker's call to action encourages American citizens to get involved in their communities, use their time, talent, and resources to make a difference, and hold their elected officials accountable for using data to develop effective public safety strategies.
How does the speaker connect the issues in major cities to the Declaration of Independence?
-The speaker connects the issues by stating that the lack of basic needs such as safety, education, and the ability to make ends meet hinders the realization of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
Outlines
๐ฎ Evolution of Policing and Societal Challenges
The speaker reflects on their 30-year career as a police officer, highlighting the unchanged training methodologies despite evolving societal issues. They express concern over the current state of policing, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of crime. The speaker calls for a focus on data to understand and rectify the disparities in law enforcement and the mass incarceration resulting from existing practices. They also point out the disparities in incarceration rates based on geographic location and the negative impacts on communities, advocating for a change in the way police officers are trained and the way communities are served.
๐ Addressing the Root Causes of Crime Through Data
The speaker delves into the importance of data in understanding the root causes of crime, such as financial insecurity, behavioral health issues, and the plight of those left behind in society. They use the example of Indianapolis to illustrate the concentration of crime and poverty in specific areas, emphasizing the need for targeted public safety initiatives rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The speaker argues for a collaborative effort involving various uniformed services and community stakeholders to tackle these issues proactively and holistically, rather than merely focusing on arrests and incarceration.
๐๏ธ Transforming Public Safety Through Community Initiatives
The speaker presents a case for a reimagined approach to public safety, moving away from traditional policing to a more community-oriented strategy. They discuss the Denver Opportunity Index as a model for understanding the specific needs of different areas within a city, allowing for targeted interventions. The speaker shares success stories from Denver, where collaborative efforts between government and community organizations have led to significant improvements in public safety and reductions in crime. They emphasize the importance of financial security, behavioral health support, and services for those re-entering society from prison as key pillars of this new approach.
๐ A Call to Action for a Holistic Approach to Public Safety
In the concluding paragraph, the speaker issues a call to action for citizens to become involved in addressing the complex issues facing their communities. They stress the importance of holding elected officials and public safety leaders accountable for using data to develop effective strategies. The speaker invokes the Declaration of Independence, reminding the audience of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and argues that these rights are being denied to many in America's cities. They express a passionate belief in the need for a collective effort to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to succeed, and they encourage the audience to join them in this endeavor.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กPublic Safety
๐กCommunity Policing
๐กMass Incarceration
๐กData-Driven Approach
๐กDespair
๐กFinancial Security
๐กBehavioral Health
๐กMental Health Run
๐กReentry
๐กOpportunity Index
๐กAccountability
Highlights
The speaker reflects on their 30-year career as a police officer and the evolution of police training.
Criticisms of the current police training methodology as being incomplete and outdated.
The importance of addressing the root causes of crime through a public safety initiative rather than a police-centric approach.
The need for cities to focus on data to understand and address the underlying issues contributing to crime and incarceration.
The disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on certain communities and the unfairness in the justice system.
The stark realities of living conditions in impoverished areas, with high crime rates and limited opportunities.
The role of financial security, behavioral health, and support for those left behind as key pillars for public safety.
Examples of how addressing food insecurity and providing resources can lead to a decrease in crime rates.
The significance of mental health in relation to crime and the importance of training police officers to handle such situations.
The impact of property crime on individuals and communities and the need for a more empathetic approach.
The challenges faced by prisoners re-entering society and the high recidivism rate due to lack of support.
The Denver Opportunity Index as an innovative method to understand and address disparities in different areas of a city.
The success of community-based initiatives in reducing crime and improving public safety.
The call to action for citizens to engage in their communities and hold officials accountable for data-driven solutions.
The philosophical shift required in public safety to embrace a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders.
The Declaration of Independence's principles as a foundation for addressing current societal issues and striving for equality.
The passionate plea for collective action to ensure all citizens have the opportunity to succeed and achieve their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
you
[Music]
[Applause]
good afternoon you know 30 years ago I
raised my right hand took the oath of
office to serve and protect the citizens
of the greater Louisville area in fact I
just taken the oath to become a
Jefferson County police officer I was
honored to serve my hometown and honor
to serve with some of the bravest
individuals I'd ever met in my life
since then in the 30 years that have
passed I've had a tremendous blessed
career I've had the opportunity to chat
with two presidents regarding crime
issues I've been able to sit down with
two United States Attorney General's and
actually have a discussion about
juvenile crime in the future of American
society in regards to juveniles and once
I was called before Congress to testify
in regards to homeland security issues
specifically how they were being
addressed in cities and the threats that
were in the cities it was an honor to
serve in these capacities but I have to
tell you after 30 years I'm a little
trouble today because I believe that our
citizens and our police officers deserve
better
because I can honestly tell you that the
way we trained police officers now the
methodology of on which we train them is
incomplete and once again our officers
who sacrifice their lives and and their
injuries time and time again deserve
better and so do our public let me
explain what I mean by that right now if
you're a young person you come to
training you're gonna get them about the
same training that I received 30 years
ago you're going to be told how to
patrol better ways to patrol now today
we do a better job of talking about
community policing and different things
but at the end of the day we still train
how to patrol we train how to make an
arrest
we've gotten better in 30 years about
how we do that safely but then we also
train how to incarcerate people what I
mean by that is how do we testify in
court to ensure that individuals go to
jail so what are we going to do about
these issues how are we going to address
these issues long term to ensure that
we're on the right path well I will tell
you this I think that each city in
America needs to be focused on data they
need to understand what is occurring and
data is able to tell us some things that
we haven't seen in the past
it's shown us the ill effects of this
type of policing of arresting and
prosecuting to the fullest extent of the
law it is demonstrated to us the mass
incarceration that has resulted is it
fair in the United States of America
that a person goes to jail simply
because they live in a tough area town
compared to an area that they wouldn't
go to jail if they didn't live there I
don't think it is we have to address
that and we have to be honest not only
in law enforcement and the community
addressing these issues I also want to
point out that when we look at these
cities across America all of America's
major cities that individuals are
struggling in many areas that there are
large areas within each of our cities
where people are in despair people are
struggling people feel like they're
without voice they're without hope we
need to address that someone told me
recently that they believe that this was
the number one threat to our cities and
if our cities are the economic engine
that fuels this great country that it's
the number one threat to our country as
a whole
let me give you a better understanding
of what's going on in every city in
America but specifically the city that's
closest to us today that's a large city
and that's Indianapolis Indiana
remember this data is a couple years old
but it appease there's six key areas
some people call those focus areas other
call them intersections but that's eight
square miles out of 400 square miles in
the city of Indianapolis when you start
adding up the people in those areas
that's four point seven percent of the
population four point seven percent of
the entire population of the city of
Indianapolis resides in these eight
square miles but when you live in that
area that four point seven percent of
the population resides an area where 27
percent of the murders occur 30% of the
non-fatal shootings to put it another
way we're talking about 600 percent more
likely to have a murder or a non-fatal
shooting in these areas than anywhere
else in the city of Indianapolis
education levels at the lowest levels
possible in the city lower than anywhere
else is it any wonder with all
stocked up against them that there's a
239 percent greater likelihood to have a
mental health run by EMS and this area
compared to everyone else and then to
make matters worse 22 to 23 percent of
the residents in this area 22 to 23
percent are unemployed at the peak of
the Great Depression the unemployment
rate was 25% these areas are depression
like people struggling and remember what
I said earlier when we Patrol arrest and
incarcerate it's not going to help
people in these areas in addition to the
arrest and prosecution we need to start
focusing on what we can do beforehand
and I will say this is a public safety
initiative here what I said
I didn't say a police initiative I said
a public safety initiative that means
that anyone wears a uniform that
responds in your home and any type of
emergency would be involved that means
that our probation and parole officers
court systems prosecutors need to be
involved but the three pillars that I
say are essential to public safety to
get to the root causes of crime or
simply this financial security
behavioral health and those left behind
most of the numbers I'm showing you
could be reflected in these major areas
within each and every city of America
first of all financial security it is
hard to believe in the midst of this
economic prosperity that is America now
the economic engine that are cities that
40 million Americans are living in
poverty if you make fifteen thousand
dollars a year and you live in New York
City the federal government says you do
not live in poverty if you're single the
same if you have a family of four and
you make twenty four thousand and five
hundred so while poverty numbers give us
an understanding of some of the despair
that's happening in our major cities it
doesn't give us a accurate picture maybe
something more accurate as food
insecurity meaning every night people go
to bed hungry in our major cities in
these areas of despair
here if we were going to try to solve
that food disparity issue and food
insecurity issue in Indianapolis Indiana
it would call citizens 83 million
dollars to the city just north of us
today in Chicago Illinois 354 million
dollars now you're starting to get a
picture what it's like to live in these
areas of despair in our major cities you
may find it i but i but i have included
under financial security property crime
we don't pay a lot of tension a property
crime and policing i hate to say that
but it's true we don't pay a lot of
tension and the media the public doesn't
pay a lot of attention once in awhile
there's a spike you'll hear a news story
but let me tell you an importance of
monitoring property crime if you live in
one of these areas of despair you've
lived in one of these areas where people
are struggling to make ends meet
and you've been able to scrape up enough
money to buy an iPad for your family and
now you can connect socially your
children connect socially and your
children are doing better in school
because they have the resources now with
that iPad when that I pay gets stolen
that is just a property crime another
number in the books for the police
department for that family that is a
life altering event and we need to be
aware of that in public safety as we
move forward and try to find ideas and
suggestions on how to deal with these
challenges behavioral health
I have not study in a major city yet
that suicides don't outpace murders
usually two to one sometimes more than
that this is what's happening in many of
our major cities across America I've
also put violent crime under behavioral
health issue we talk about victims of
crime and some cities do a very good job
of dealing with people that have a
violent crime history they'd been a
victim of a violent crime they send
services and help some cities don't do a
very good job but most do especially
large cities but what about that
victim's family they've been victimized
as well then we have to change our
thought process a little bit what about
the perpetrators family aren't they
victimized as well because of the acts
of a loved one and then this gets a
little bit tougher what about the
perpetrator that individuals going to
prison and should go to prison but guess
what they're going to get out of prison
what are we doing to make sure that when
they return they don't go right back
into that life of crime and harm another
American citizen and so those left
behind who are they are these citizens
that are living in our cities and they
see all of this building all the
entertainment venues all the people
moving to major cities money is growing
constantly tax base is growing
constantly but yet they feel like
they're left behind is that the
immigrant community that we know that is
moving to major cities in these areas of
despair looking to assimilate and find
jobs so they can provide for their
children and live that American dream
and once again what about those
thousands upon thousands of prisoners
that come back to the streets each and
every year in our nation many of them
with mental health issues many of them
with dependency issues and with all
those issues in a criminal record is it
any wonder that since we have very
little services for a film that 76% 76%
return to prison within five years so
that's some of the macro data large data
but here's my proposal every city in
America should develop data based on
these three pillars every city on
America should be able to tell you what
numbers they have a financial security
behavioral health and people left behind
for every block in America when we look
at these large numbers we think it's too
large to fix it's not too large if we
take small increments you may think
that's impossible but it's not in Denver
Colorado we have put together what we
say is a denver opportunity index denver
opportunity index it's simply based on
data on the three pillars I am NOT
including all the vast amounts of data
that we have but I want to share with
you how we can start understanding what
people are living like in certain areas
and work collectively and
collaboratively as government to deal
with these issues in this census tract
there's 6,400 residents
in age of 31 there's 142 census tracts
in the city of Denver there's only a
hundred square miles so this census
tract represents a half square mile we
know what citizens are dealing with if
you have a ranking of one in the
opportunity index it means you have the
greatest opportunities for success you
have the highest education highest
income if you rank 142 it means you have
the least amount of success you have the
highest poverty least amount of income
these are the issues if you just take a
quick look at this opportunity index you
realize in this census tract the people
that are living there they rank 136
there's only six census tracts in the
entire city of Denver that has more
people in poverty than this area why is
this important for cities to do because
in cities we try to have a
one-size-fits-all mentality on policing
we have to realize that the challenges
on the north side of our cities are
different than the south side the needs
on the west side are different than the
needs on the east side and we need to
have this data to make good firm
decisions to ensure that we're being
effective and efficient with taxpayer
dollars but most importantly to ensure
that citizens are getting the services
and the opportunities that they deserve
so people ask me all the time do you
really think this will work I know to
work because I've seen it in action in
Indianapolis Indiana Gleaners Food Bank
saw the food issues the food insecurity
that eighty three million dollars they
saw the areas of abject poverty and
Gleaners went out and they found people
to help and they have provided mills
hundreds of thousands of mills for
people in those areas and you know what
the result has been when we took a
snapshot a year later crime had dropped
by over ten percent
just because basic needs are met in the
United States today 25% of all
police-related shootings involve someone
with a mental health issue the police
executive Research Forum out of
Washington DC realized that work with
local corporations and they developed
training they're going into cities now
in training police officers how to deal
better with people with mental illness
and because of that work in that
collaborate
of effort they have lowered the amount
of use of force in those cities and
those left behind after seeing the
complete Denver opportunity index
presentation Volunteers of America
realized that far too many individuals
far too many individuals are leaving
jail and going to these areas of abject
poverty and they've disrupted that they
have been in the jails now talking to
individuals saying to these individuals
come to the Volunteers of America we're
going to give you housing we're going to
give you jobs we're going to give you
counseling and we're going to give you
hope for the first time in your life
that's only been initiative that's been
ongoing for a few months but as we speak
today zero was the amount of people that
were returned to the Denver County Jail
as a result of this work many people get
the misconception that this is a big
government program it is not it's using
the government money and the people that
we have now within departments of Public
Safety in Denver we have 4,500 employees
and we have a budget about 550 million
dollars what's so good about this is
it's not a government program
it's a retooling of Public Safety it's a
philosophical shift in the way we do
Public Safety because we realize that
public safety is everyone's
responsibility it's gonna take all of us
working together look at these three
success stories leaners went out and
found volunteers they went out and found
the funding they went out and found the
food just because we gave them the data
necessary to do this perf saw the data
that put been put together by the media
and they went out and found corporations
willing to give money to develop this on
their own and Volunteers of America saw
a need and got engaged and changed the
way they distribute services to meet the
needs and the community and it will have
a profound effect in the community
here's what i wasyou as American
citizens I'm going to ask you to do
something for me
if you're concerned about your country
if you're concerned about your city if
you're concerned about human beings take
a moment and roll up your sleeves get to
work give your time talent and treasures
also hold your mayors
your elected officials your police
chiefs your fire chief's even your
directors of Public Safety hold them
accountable and make sure they give you
accurate data and that they're working
with you on a continual basis to develop
strategies to make a difference in the
community I in with this putting the
famous words from the Declaration of
Independence on the screen because I
learned about the omen I was younger and
I've lived by those my entire life
our foundation of this great Republic is
built on this document Abraham Lincoln
himself when he talked about this
document said these are god-given rights
they're their inalienable they're right
there in front of us life liberty and
pursuit of happiness you know I've read
in history where great men and women
have used these words that called this
nation caused this nation to repentance
for the sins of slavery and
discrimination I've heard freedom loving
people around the world use these words
to ensure that they can get relief from
their oppression but I have to tell you
I'm passionate about this and the reason
I'm passionate is when I look into our
major cities today and I see some of the
issues that are festering they are the
issues of depravity of the issues of not
having food not having clothing not
having water to drink in some cases I
can honestly stand here and tell you
that not all of our young people have
those same rights that most of us had
how can you have the right to life when
every day you're worried about your
safety and someone else's safety how can
you have liberty when you don't have the
basic education to get a job that pulls
you out of poverty and how in the world
can you pursue happiness when each and
every day you're struggling just to make
ends meet and on most days you fall
short see I truly believe we'll never
know our full potential as a nation as
great as we are until all of our
residents have an opportunity to succeed
I hope and pray that you will join me on
this endeavor thank you
[Applause]
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