The "long term assignment to specific neighborhoods" or "beats" recognizes that police officers cannot be effective if they are strangers confronting strangers. Such confrontations increase the likelihood of a violent result.
The Apartment Complex
We won't have a de-militarized, community friendly, police force until we get officers out of their cars and back to walking a beat: until we eliminate the "us versus them" mentality that exists when human individuals are locked away in their cars.
The Mayor's problem with Michael Brown was not that he was an apartment-living transient "stranger." Because the same "stranger" problem existed with Zeb Cobbs who was the furthest thing from being transient.
Citizens do not cause the "stranger" problem. It is caused by the police and how they view their jobs as police officers.
Imagine that same apartment complex. Image the beat officers and their sergeant walking up to the complex to welcome each new family moving in. They introduce themselves, give the new occupants their business cards and let them know that they are there to keep them safe and to call them if they need any help. They get to know the people they serve and the people get to know them.
Would Michael Brown have been shot dead if he, his friend, the on-looking neighbors, and the officer all knew each other?
[1] "Everett couple see hope in Obama inauguration," Everett Herald, Sunday, January 18, 2009.
[2] See: click here at 9.
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