Politicians, police chiefs and, yes, even editorialists, have been known to overuse and abuse the sweeping generalization of “the community.”
With his use of the word in a recent op-ed for the Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau demonstrated just how out of touch he and his fellow officers are with that community.
In his letter, Bordeleau called on members of the community to come forward with any information they might have pertaining to recent homicides in the city. He says this “broader approach” to tackling gang violence is key in finding a resolution to one of the city’s hot-button issues.
But who is listening to the police chief’s concerns? Are these lines being read as sincere, or scoffed at as a PR stunt? We’d argue the latter.
His letter dressed up threats posed by gangs as “challenges” and sought “healthy neighbourhood cohesion” instead of bluntly seeking an end to violence between residents.
Certainly, perfect security is not something even the most effective chief of police can promise. In what appeared more as a rebuttal to his critics than an outline of his strategy, however, Bordeleau offered little substance in regard to the efforts of his force.
Shortly after his letter hit the streets, the police chief found his leadership under fire from one of his own officers, Const. Paul Heffler. In an internal email to the OPS, Heffler chastised the higher allocation of police resources to combat gang violence. He said the reduction of officers on patrol – “where the rubber meets the road” – has harmed the overall response to incidents of community violence.
Heffler’s points are strong ones and they point to the inanity of Bordeleau’s letter. By promising a doubling of resources assigned to the guns and gangs division, he sends the message that the policing priority is cracking down on violent communities rather than repairing them. Bordeleau seeks respect and co-operation, but generates fear and distrust.
As an example, the police chief names the Jasmine Crescent community as an area of focus for police in regards to the three homicides that took place in the neighbourhood within the past year. For residents living on Jasmine Crescent, it can’t feel gratifying to be publicly marked on the map of Ottawa violence. Surely, residents would feel less inclined to reach out to police in light of this label.
Bordeleau has leaned heavily on the collaborative work of community partners such as the John Howard Society, where support workers reach out to at-risk youth and the families of known gang members to build connections alternative to those they might find in a gang. It’s time for the Ottawa Police Service to take on this work as well and rebuild its connection to youth in the city.
In asking for the co-operation of community members, Bordeleau must realize that there are many communities at play at any one time. Earning respect from residents through on-the-ground policing is the only responsible method to gain the trust of witnesses and family members. Otherwise, the voices he seeks are only going to retreat further away.