Solano EDC breakfast highlights
link between public safety and economic vitality
By Dom Pruett, DPruett@TheReporter.Com,
@dompruett
on Twitter
Posted:
06/17/16, 5:52 PM PDT | Updated: 2 days ago
Local Law
Enforcement Officers, Government Elected Officials, and various other community
stakeholders joined representatives from the Solano Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) Friday morning over breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn in
Fairfield to discuss the correlation between public safety and economic
vitality.
“Solano County
is known as a large village, and we need to work together,” Solano EDC
President Sandy Person explained. “We can always do better; this needs to be
our top priority.”
Police
Foundation President Jim Bueermann gave the opening presentation in which he
addressed ways to improve current policing amidst a growing state of distrust
and animosity among some citizens toward law enforcement officers.
Buerrmann
discussed the sweeping proposal that would require all officers to wear a body
camera while on duty, as well as virtual reality training — installed to let
officers gain a different perspective on police interaction.
“I’m an old
white guy, so I don’t know what it’s like to be a 20-year-old African
American,” Bueerrman said, which returned some sporadic laughter from the
audience. “Police others the way you would want to be policed.”
Though
Bueerrmann later admitted he didn’t believe his message resonated with many of
the officers there in person, he was clear and uncompromising in conveying his
belief that departments across the country need a change in culture.
“We’re not
going to advance policing in this country if we continue the way we have,” he
said.
To Bueerrmann,
a change in culture will only come from officers acquiring a better
understanding of how to police minorities and the mentally ill.
“Whether you
like to admit it or not, you are social workers,” he told the law enforcement
officers.
Lastly,
Bueerrmann mentioned the connection between education and crime. “How many
educated and successful people do you know who have been arrested?”
His three major
points: prevention, intervention and suppression revealed that only through
social change will communities become strengthened, and in turn, alter the
current perception of police.
Vacaville
Police Chief John Carli, who was in attendance, agreed with Buerrmann’s
message.
“Policing in
the community is not about arresting people,” he said. “Education is the
driving force. It makes kids more successful.”
Carli
explained, “It’s planting the seed for the tree you may never sit under.”
California
Director of the Council for a Strong America Barrie Becker followed Bueerrmann
and expanded on the significance of education’s role in reducing crime.
“Education
leads to less crime,” Becker said while presenting slides with statistics to
back her claims. Becker added that when law enforcement officers, business
leaders, and retired senior military personnel are among some of the many who
have already joined her in fighting crime through investment in children.
Becker
discussed in particular the obstacles children from low-income and
dysfunctional families face, and added that a quick survey on any prison’s
inmate population would reveal that the vast majority read at an elementary
school level. In theory, the more children flourish in school, the less likely
they will end up behind bars.
“It’s a huge
indicator,” Buerrmann remarked about education following the event.
However, it
takes everyone to make it possible.
“Police and
schools can’t do it on their own,” he said.
