State grant seeks to restore public trust in police
Unrest among some residents over 2014’s police officer-involved shootings in Salinas is still sparking a discussion over how to solve the problem. The Police Department says that was the year when officers really began to experience outcry and distrust from the community.
“I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I think there were some underlying trust issues prior to that, but that was what kind of brought it to a head,” said Deputy Chief Dave Shaw.
National police brutality cases have also had a local impact.
“I just think it’s part of our culture in America to have that outlook on police, so I think it’s better if we can work to establish a better understanding and a trust,” said Alejandra Silva, a Salinas resident.
With help from a 1.7 million dollar state grant, Salinas police and other agencies in Monterey County are hoping to reverse the problem.
“We thought about what opportunities are out there to help us try to meet this goal while being short staffed and so we found a great program called Why’d You Stop Me,” said Jose Arreola, community safety administrator for the City of Salinas.
“Why’d You Stop Me” is an educational program designed to give both groups an understanding of what the other group is experiencing during police contact — to build empathy, trust and reduce violence.
Shaw said a common question is, “why is it that when the cops stop me they put all the lights on me? They don’t understand it’s embarrassing and humiliates me.” The reason, he said, is that officers “have no idea who you are.”
The curriculum will be taught monthly through presentations to populations in Salinas and Monterey County that may have a high risk of coming in contact with police.
“I think it would create a better sense of trust,” said Silva
“Our authority is given to us by the public and if they don’t trust you they’re not going to give you the authority to go out and police the community,” said Shaw. “We lose the ability to go out and do our jobs properly.”
