To mark March 2106 International Ideas Month, US Navy veteran, writer and film activist Rafiq Small drafted a report on ideas for police reform, which was just released on his website.
For more information visit: http://bornagainchristian.tv/police-reform-ideas/.
An honorably discharged US Navy veteran, Small originates from New York, being born in Bronx and raised in Mount Vernon. He has developed 19 ideas for police reform and law enforcement agencies. With police and law enforcement action always in the public eye, Small feels its important to retain and strengthen social justice and the protective duties the community expects from those that serve in the profession.
In his report, Small outlines his vision for police reform including encouraging exemplary conduct, and feels that citizens have a right to expect public trials relating to any breakdowns in the system where this doesn't occur, in order to improve the process moving forward which prevents errors reoccurring in the future. For the same reason he proposes that independent investigators be automatically allocated for all cases where the protective services have gone against the community's interests.
This is directly related to Small's vision for more openness and transparency, making public servants more answerable to the law-abiding public, by making hard evidence publicly available within five days of an incident occurring. He also believes that the system for compiling data on law enforcement errors leaves room for improvement.
His report also recommends utilizing modern technology to benefit the law enforcement profession, Small feels that it would be beneficial for the implementation and standardization of policies such as, police officers being equipped with and trained in operating a body cam, and police vehicles being equipped with a dash cam. He also calls for mandatory and periodic training for police on how to appropriately interact with citizens that struggle with mental health illnesses and implement training for best practices on how to interact with citizens that exercise their right to film police.
In his report Small suggests a review, with potential reform of: the limit of power of Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights (LEOBR): the police' ability to sue surviving victims or the estate of deceased victims; better protection for those within law enforcement who expose misconduct; and, 50% reduction in federal funding for federal law-enforcement agencies, state and local police that show patterns of that deviate from expected functions.
Overall, Small is a strong supporter of demilitarizing the police force, and all 19 ideas for police reform presented on his report are in favor of building trust between the community and police force and facilitate overall improvement in community-police relations.
