Like many others, I was saddened and heartbroken by the images from the recent beating and eventual death in Memphis of Tyre Nichols at the hands of a group of police officers. Coming less than three years after the death of George Floyd, it is a stark reminder that while great strides have been made in building bridges between law enforcement and local communities in recent years, there is still much work to be done.
Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, Ten at the Top formed a discovery committee to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between law enforcement and local communities here in Upstate South Carolina. We also looked to identify actions to be taken to ensure a similar incident doesn’t occur within one of our communities.
Ultimately, the discovery committee recognized that creating a culture that equally values the lives of our police officers and all residents is critical to creating a safer Upstate region.
The components for building the desired culture included creating opportunities for law enforcement officers to engage with the larger community in settings outside of their normal law enforcement duties and recognizing the need for having a police force that reflects the diverse population of the community in terms of ethnicity, gender, age and other demographic components.
Though many of the police departments in the Upstate are small and have limited resources, we have seen over the last three years that almost every department in the region does participate in community outreach activities, including National Night Out, Fist Bump Fridays at local schools, community meetings and other similar activities. In addition, many departments have participated in training programs specifically focused on how to overcome unconscious biases when dealing with a person with a different background or ethnicity.
Having law enforcement personnel who reflect the demographics of the community can help build stronger relationships, increase trust and promote more equitable and just practices.
Given that almost all of the officers involved in the Memphis incident were Black, as was Tyre Nichols, it is a challenging reminder that there are no easy answers when working to create a culture where the lives of all are equally valued.
Moving forward, we must recognize creating a culture that values the lives and safety of all is difficult and there are truly no easy or perfect approaches. Instead, we must continue to build relationships and understanding between law enforcement members and local residents with the understanding that we all play a role in creating a culture of community safety and mutual trust.
Dean Hybl is executive director of Ten at the Top, a regional non-profit serving the 10-county Upstate region. You can learn more about Ten at the Top at www.tenatthetop.org.
