Community Policing is the Ticket in Independence
By Anne Scheck
He was combative and poised for a fight. But when officers responded to a report that a man was loudly fending off a frightening encounter, they quickly realized that the scene of the crime was all in his head. The man was convinced he was back in California, facing a past threat.
The police couldn’t seem to convince him otherwise. Then the man saw an unmistakable sign that proved he was, in fact, in Independence -- where nobody was out to hurt him. "Finally, seeing the word 'Oregon' on an official badge, which was shown to him, made him understand he was not where he thought he was," explained Independence Police Chief Robert Mason, who, after more than two decades with the department, quite literally considers such incidents all in a day’s work. And that work is community policing, a strategy aimed at building relationships of trust and rapport.
The kind of community policing being practiced in Independence – which now goes by the added term problem-oriented policing – is essential, according to interviews of officers ranging from deputy sheriffs to police sergeants at the annual meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association late last month. “Building rapport with the community is so important,” said John Kilcullen, a former police officer and lawyer. Mr. Kilcullen was at the meeting to help raise awareness of Concerns of Police Survivors, a support group for surviving families of deceased police officers. (Mr. Kilcullen’s son, Chris, was slain in the line of duty seven years ago in Eugene.)
Community policing can increase resources, Mr. Kilcullen explained. When community residents feel positively toward local police, the outcome is supportive citizens -- and they’re more likely to inform officers about possible crimes. Establishing trust by friendly outreach translates into “good sources of information,” concurred Larry Schrenk, Mr. Kilcullen’s former colleague on the police force.
Increased stressors, such as relationship difficulties, substance abuse (including opioid dependence) as well as money, job, and housing loss are reported to be at an all-time high -- and the reason for an increase in the Oregon suicide rate, according to a study released this past summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We are seeing more of the EDPs -- emotionally disturbed persons -- than ever before," Chief Mason affirmed, although the precise reasons aren't apparent. Is it that the Great Recession caused pressure on families from which some never emerged? Is it that the fabric of families has changed over the years, with fewer having a wide and supportive safety net to fall back on? The chief believes it's multi-factored, and that it has made community policing even more important. Gentle, polite questioning of some suspected law-breakers, particularly those who seem most distraught, has replaced the dispassionate command presence of the past.
His officers have learned de-escalation techniques that ratchet down outbursts, often simply by listening and engaging in conversation. From an out-of-control rant by a troubled youth to a PTSD-related flashback in a veteran, "we have reduced our use of force," he said, adding that this behavior is now seen as a form of "suffering" rather than a violation.
"We have to handle more calls in which someone is acting out or seems threatening," the chief said. Treatment facilities for mental illness are now far more limited than they were 25 years ago, Chief Mason added. At times, this has meant that a specially trained mobile crisis response team is called; This is a team that pairs a Polk County mental health worker with an officer or deputy that is specially trained to handle crisis calls. Polk County has two of these teams.
In August, a review article published in the journal Policing and Society noted that police are dealing far more with what might once have been called issues of public health, particularly those involving mental instability, including delusional behavior and trauma. "We see this kind of thing -- it’s not that uncommon," Chief Mason explained.
Many of the calls received by the Independence Police Department fall into one of three categories: Theft or property disputes, domestic disputes or animal-related reports.
In fact, one of Chief Mason's most memorable calls was about a goose on the loose. Apparently, a Canadian goose had gotten separated from its flock and was madly zooming around the downtown area -- for unknown reasons. The chief and another police officer -- keen on capturing the disruptive bird – gave chase but it kept dodging them. A helpful resident dashed out with a salmon fishing net, and the honking fowl was secured. It’s a good example of community policing: A good Samaritan with a fish net, and local veterinarian Robert Archer DVM being called in for a quick consult. "You can't imagine how many times, when something like this happens, he gets called -- and he is great about it, like a small-town doctor" on an emergency, Chief Mason said. (See Indy Hop for more from Dr. Archer)
When it comes to domestic disputes, sometimes Independence police officers simply lend an ear and give a voice to family members under duress. For example, when an elderly family member seems to be losing specific abilities -- such as the capacity to drive safely, for instance -- police can break bad news that others cannot. "It's maybe easier for us than it is for a family member to say 'It is time for you to re-test at the DMV,' " Chief Mason said.
With the growth of housing in Independence, specifically, apartment complexes, noise-related calls have increased, too -- usually by neighbors who live below or above a unit in multi-family housing. There's also been an uptick in calls about public alcohol consumption. This is likely because the number of homeless individuals has increased in Independence, and when they consume alcohol, it is in public, Chief Mason explained.
At the recent meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association, several members expressed admiration for Independence – calling small- town policing a tough gig because it can interfere significantly with a personal life. Public events can become a place where officers are approached by parents, for advice on teen problems or to plead a case for a child who has had a brush with the law. “You know, sometimes we just want to watch our kids play sports, not talk about someone else’s situation,” said one police officer at the meeting. Another added that he felt a personal disappointment when a youth he knew broke the law. “You feel badly, and in another bigger place, it wouldn’t be the same – it might be sad, but it wouldn’t be someone you know.”
One of the biggest challenges in Independence concerning such minors has been the wider use of marijuana, Chief Mason said. Since the plant has become legal, more high school and middle-school youth have had access to it. One way may be through older acquaintances, who buy it the way teens often obtain alcohol from older friends. Another way might be from their own homes, in the same way the liquor cabinet is sometimes stealthily raided. "What we do know is that we are seeing more of it," he said.
The Independence Police Department keeps abreast of good techniques for police work and for risk management, aided by a software-technology subscription known as Lexipol, which was founded 15 years ago by two attorneys who also had worked as police officers. Lexipol constantly feeds the Independence Police Department new information on state-specific law changes and evidence-based police practices. It also issues legal updates. Since it's online, it can be accessed continually -- and at the touch of a few keystrokes.
He was combative and poised for a fight. But when officers responded to a report that a man was loudly fending off a frightening encounter, they quickly realized that the scene of the crime was all in his head. The man was convinced he was back in California, facing a past threat.
The police couldn’t seem to convince him otherwise. Then the man saw an unmistakable sign that proved he was, in fact, in Independence -- where nobody was out to hurt him. "Finally, seeing the word 'Oregon' on an official badge, which was shown to him, made him understand he was not where he thought he was," explained Independence Police Chief Robert Mason, who, after more than two decades with the department, quite literally considers such incidents all in a day’s work. And that work is community policing, a strategy aimed at building relationships of trust and rapport.
The kind of community policing being practiced in Independence – which now goes by the added term problem-oriented policing – is essential, according to interviews of officers ranging from deputy sheriffs to police sergeants at the annual meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association late last month. “Building rapport with the community is so important,” said John Kilcullen, a former police officer and lawyer. Mr. Kilcullen was at the meeting to help raise awareness of Concerns of Police Survivors, a support group for surviving families of deceased police officers. (Mr. Kilcullen’s son, Chris, was slain in the line of duty seven years ago in Eugene.)
Community policing can increase resources, Mr. Kilcullen explained. When community residents feel positively toward local police, the outcome is supportive citizens -- and they’re more likely to inform officers about possible crimes. Establishing trust by friendly outreach translates into “good sources of information,” concurred Larry Schrenk, Mr. Kilcullen’s former colleague on the police force.
Increased stressors, such as relationship difficulties, substance abuse (including opioid dependence) as well as money, job, and housing loss are reported to be at an all-time high -- and the reason for an increase in the Oregon suicide rate, according to a study released this past summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We are seeing more of the EDPs -- emotionally disturbed persons -- than ever before," Chief Mason affirmed, although the precise reasons aren't apparent. Is it that the Great Recession caused pressure on families from which some never emerged? Is it that the fabric of families has changed over the years, with fewer having a wide and supportive safety net to fall back on? The chief believes it's multi-factored, and that it has made community policing even more important. Gentle, polite questioning of some suspected law-breakers, particularly those who seem most distraught, has replaced the dispassionate command presence of the past.
His officers have learned de-escalation techniques that ratchet down outbursts, often simply by listening and engaging in conversation. From an out-of-control rant by a troubled youth to a PTSD-related flashback in a veteran, "we have reduced our use of force," he said, adding that this behavior is now seen as a form of "suffering" rather than a violation.
"We have to handle more calls in which someone is acting out or seems threatening," the chief said. Treatment facilities for mental illness are now far more limited than they were 25 years ago, Chief Mason added. At times, this has meant that a specially trained mobile crisis response team is called; This is a team that pairs a Polk County mental health worker with an officer or deputy that is specially trained to handle crisis calls. Polk County has two of these teams.
In August, a review article published in the journal Policing and Society noted that police are dealing far more with what might once have been called issues of public health, particularly those involving mental instability, including delusional behavior and trauma. "We see this kind of thing -- it’s not that uncommon," Chief Mason explained.
Many of the calls received by the Independence Police Department fall into one of three categories: Theft or property disputes, domestic disputes or animal-related reports.
In fact, one of Chief Mason's most memorable calls was about a goose on the loose. Apparently, a Canadian goose had gotten separated from its flock and was madly zooming around the downtown area -- for unknown reasons. The chief and another police officer -- keen on capturing the disruptive bird – gave chase but it kept dodging them. A helpful resident dashed out with a salmon fishing net, and the honking fowl was secured. It’s a good example of community policing: A good Samaritan with a fish net, and local veterinarian Robert Archer DVM being called in for a quick consult. "You can't imagine how many times, when something like this happens, he gets called -- and he is great about it, like a small-town doctor" on an emergency, Chief Mason said. (See Indy Hop for more from Dr. Archer)
When it comes to domestic disputes, sometimes Independence police officers simply lend an ear and give a voice to family members under duress. For example, when an elderly family member seems to be losing specific abilities -- such as the capacity to drive safely, for instance -- police can break bad news that others cannot. "It's maybe easier for us than it is for a family member to say 'It is time for you to re-test at the DMV,' " Chief Mason said.
With the growth of housing in Independence, specifically, apartment complexes, noise-related calls have increased, too -- usually by neighbors who live below or above a unit in multi-family housing. There's also been an uptick in calls about public alcohol consumption. This is likely because the number of homeless individuals has increased in Independence, and when they consume alcohol, it is in public, Chief Mason explained.
At the recent meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association, several members expressed admiration for Independence – calling small- town policing a tough gig because it can interfere significantly with a personal life. Public events can become a place where officers are approached by parents, for advice on teen problems or to plead a case for a child who has had a brush with the law. “You know, sometimes we just want to watch our kids play sports, not talk about someone else’s situation,” said one police officer at the meeting. Another added that he felt a personal disappointment when a youth he knew broke the law. “You feel badly, and in another bigger place, it wouldn’t be the same – it might be sad, but it wouldn’t be someone you know.”
One of the biggest challenges in Independence concerning such minors has been the wider use of marijuana, Chief Mason said. Since the plant has become legal, more high school and middle-school youth have had access to it. One way may be through older acquaintances, who buy it the way teens often obtain alcohol from older friends. Another way might be from their own homes, in the same way the liquor cabinet is sometimes stealthily raided. "What we do know is that we are seeing more of it," he said.
The Independence Police Department keeps abreast of good techniques for police work and for risk management, aided by a software-technology subscription known as Lexipol, which was founded 15 years ago by two attorneys who also had worked as police officers. Lexipol constantly feeds the Independence Police Department new information on state-specific law changes and evidence-based police practices. It also issues legal updates. Since it's online, it can be accessed continually -- and at the touch of a few keystrokes.
The CIVICS LESSON: Local Ballot Box Yields Biggest Bang
A relatively unused term -- the “down-ticket” ballot – seemed to take on a powerful new meaning in Independence’s local election this year. The 14-vote margin that put challenger Shannon Cockayne in the council seat of Diana Lindskog, the incumbent, illustrates a phenomenon that appears fairly widespread. Many more people vote for the top-of-the-ticket candidates – governor’s race, US senate seats – than for their local public officials, whose names appear further down the ballot. Yet votes really count in local contests, and victories may be won with only a few votes. “If you look at the numbers, you often find that many more people vote at the top of the ticket, and don’t vote further down,” explained Ed Dover PhD, who recently spoke on the outcome of the recent election at Salem City Club. Dr. Dover, a Polk County resident, is a noted author and expert on presidential elections. It isn’t definitively known why there often is a significant gap between the number of people who vote for top-ticket positions and the number of people who vote for local positions, he said. “But if you look at where your vote can really count, can really make a difference, the impact may be in that local race – the school board, the city council,” he said. Across Oregon, many of these local elections were decided by two dozen or fewer votes.
The INDY HOP: Santa Train Gives Reindeer Needed Rest
For anyone who wants to know if those reindeer resent being replaced by the chugging engine of the Santa Train, Robert Archer DVM has some good news. "They really can use the rest," he said. "They have got a lot of territory to cover," said Dr. Archer, a partner of the Ash Creek Animal Clinic on Main Street. He's happy to see these hard-working reindeer pull Santa's sleigh only on Christmas Eve. Even so, they're pulling an all-nighter, he pointed out. So they may be tempted to succumb to a few chocolate energy bars. "They should stay away from carbs," he warned, noting that their stomachs are like "fermentation vats," attuned to their normal diet. His advice: they should simply eat more of the food they typically consume. However, Rudolph may need some special attention. A red nose is fairly certain to be in need of moisturizer. "I'd recommend Vaseline, which is harder to lick off," he said. As for traveling the night sky to deliver presents, Dr. Archer said he thinks the reindeer are likely to work well as a team -- they have been at it for many years. "They know how to spread the load," he said.
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