Irony & Omen?
On the same day I planned to attend a Select Board meeting to discuss the idea of a Community Advisory Board to advise the Lexington Police Department, I was stopped by a police officer myself while driving through New Hampshire on my way home from Vermont.
Optically speaking, Officer Preston appeared to be a white-racialized person. Optically speaking, I appear to be a black-racialized person. Please take a moment and wonder where this is going.
OK, now let me tell you how it went:
“License and registration, please. I stopped you because you were going 80 in a 60mph zone. I noticed that you were maybe seeing how fast I was going and thought maybe you could increase your speed too?”
“Well, I don’t think that would be the smartest move. To be honest, I was so caught up in the book I’m listening to, I didn’t even notice you until your lights came on. And I didn’t notice that my speed had gotten so high. It never ceases to amaze me how electric cars can get so fast so fast.”
“Alright, I’ll be back. Am I going to find that there’s anything I should be concerned about when I look you up?”
“No, not a thing.”
Upon returning to my window, Officer Preston said he was going to leave it at a verbal warning, adding that he saw no need to do anything that might affect me going forward. He asked me to please be careful, and turned to head back to his vehicle.
I asked if I could share something. I let Officer Preston know about the Select Board meeting I was going to attend in just a few hours and what it would be about, and I let him know I was going to mention our encounter as an example of what I hope would characterize any policing practice in my town, and any town anywhere.
He was right to stop me. Perfectly, objectively justified, if not obligated to do so. I had no objection to that. What I did have was considerable curiosity and at least a little apprehension about how the subjective part of this dynamic would go. Like too, too many who look like I do, I have been treated less than fairly or civilly in encounters with police officers. I’ve also been treated wonderfully in encounters with police officers. This was one of the wonderful times.
I let Officer Preston know that I was going to hold him up as a model of how policing should go, and that I was grateful for the manner in which he did his job. He said, “Ninety percent of police want to do the job well and treat people well. I know there are problems with some, but there doesn’t have to be, and I try to not be part of the problem. Just treat people fairly and respectfully, you know?”
I did know. I do know. We shook hands and I resumed my trip home, shaking my head occasionally over my experience with Officer Preston, shaking my head at my lack of vigilance that led to my encounter with Officer Preston, and swiveling my head all the way home to make sure that would be the only encounter with the police that day.
Application to the Debate and Deliberation about Creating a Community Advisory Board in Lexington
I noticed, unsurprisingly, that the discussion about a Community Advisory Board, or CAB, for Lexington at the Select Board meeting that night was focused on whether or not the LPD was/is doing fine without a CAB, and the validity of the data being held up as an example. I wish it had gone further. I wish it had focused on what we want policing in Lexington to look like, not so much on whether or not a CAB is needed for it to look like…what?
I found myself wanting to hear all the key people affirm one way or another that they want Lexington to be an exemplar of anti-bias policing practices, because if that’s what the LPD wants, if that’s what the town leaders want, and if that’s what the townspeople want, we will all have to work together to make it so.
“Excellence in Anti-bias Policing.” Emblazoned on the new police department building. Loud and proud on every police vehicle. Embroidered on every police uniform. Bannered on the LPD website. Backed by transparent data. Vigorously pursued in a continuous quality improvement model. A matter of commitment, pride, and identity. Not something that should require external oversight. Something achieved through robust citizen-professional collaboration, pillar to post transparency, and frequent communication of relevant information (good, bad, and ugly). Word and deed. A promise made and a promise kept. Trust rooted in verification.
I don’t know how Officer Preston came to practice policing as he did with me. I wanted to ask but I was reluctant to take any more of his time. I’m asking Lexington if we’re committed to making sure that every officer, like Officer Preston, exemplifies excellence in anti-bias policing. If so, I will take Lexington at its word and look forward to seeing it do everything required to make it so — especially proving it in every way possible.
With gratitude to Tom Shiple and Chief McLean, both of whom were kind enough to talk with me about this CAB question prior to the Select Board meeting.
I would like Lexington to contact people in Amherst where they are initiating “Alternative Policing”. Under Community Safety they have “Community Responders to Equity and Safety”. I don’t know details but feel it is important enough to check it out. Michelle Miller would be a possible contact.