Top PSP officials says police, public need to repair fractured relationship
Col. Tyree C. Blocker (center), commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police speaks with Centerville chief of police Joseph Sekora at California University of Pennsylvania’s 9th annual Conference on Homeland and International Security on Wednesday.
Colonel Tyree C. Blocker, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police and keynote speaker gave a presentation on 21st century policing and reiterated the importance of communication between police and communities during California University of Pennyslvania’s 9th annual conference on Homeland and International Security Wednesday.
George A. Simmons president of the Mon Valley NAACP poses a question to keynote speaker and commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police Colonel Tyree C. Blocker during California University of Pennyslvania’s 9th annual conference on Homeland and International Security Wednesday.
California University of Pennsylvania criminal justice sophomores Janay Myers (left) and Sardea Abdul speak with recruiting officers of the Pennsylvania State Police following CAL U’s 9th annual conference on Homeland and International Security Wednesday. During his presentation keynote speaker Colonel Tyree C. Blocker noted the budgeting needs for recruitment officers due to a decline of enrollment in the police academy.
Retired detective of the City of Pittsburgh Police Department Dr. Christopher Wydra gives a presentation during the conference.
Law enforcement officers and the people they serve need to work together to repair what has become a fractured relationship, said Tyree C. Blocker, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“We can do a better job of quality policing,” said Blocker, the keynote speaker at California University of Pennsylvania’s 9th annual Conference on Homeland and International Security held Wednesday.
“Relationships are fractured,” Blocker said.
Blocker, who oversees 4,500 state troopers, said police officers need to be sufficiently trained on problem solving and conflict resolution and have superior interpersonal skills.
“They need to have a guardian mentality rather than a warrior mentality,” said Blocker, adding that it is not the message that some in the community resent. Instead, it is how it is delivered.
The theme of the conference was not only on how to improve community relations but also how to ensure everyone is treated fairly. The event was sponsored by the Mon Valley NAACP and the NAACP State Conference Criminal Justice Committee.
Mathilda Spencer, an assistant professor of criminal justice at CUP, said it is important to have diversification in the judicial system.
“The percentage of minority police officers doubled between 1987 to 2013,” she said. “But white males are overrepresented on judicial benches by a 2-to-1 margin.”
“Not enough minorities are involved in law enforcement. We must get involved.”
Christopher Wydra, a retired detective with the Pittsburgh police who now teaches criminal justice at Cal U, spoke about the need for trust between the police and the public.
“If the police have done something wrong, then it is out there right away,” he said. “Building trust creates safe environment for police and communities.”
“People are more likely to obey the law when they believe police are the legitimate authority.”
Cody Santiago, a Cal U graduate who now assesses risks in schools and municipalities in the York area, discussed the difficulties that region is facing, much of which can be traced to lack of money and the over prescribing of opioids.
“In York County, there are 440,000 residents,” he said. “One York County doctor issues 800,000 opioid prescriptions. People get hooked and they can’t get off.”
And that could lead to heroin addiction.
There were 62 opioid-related deaths in York County in 2014, 65 last year, and nine so far this year, said Santiago, adding that the decline is because Narcan — a drug that reverses the side effects of an overdose — is now used.
“But there were 161 saved lives because of Narcan,” he said. “York is cash strapped. In a six-square-mile area, there are 81 recovery homes. “You can’t fix things with just law enforcement. You need others as well.”
Hans Mumm, a Washington, D.C.-based author and expert on the use of technology as it relates to national security, said it’s important to embrace change.
“The more technology that is out there, the more innovative people get,” he said.
Terrorists now use drones armed with weapons, but good things are happening too, he said. Drones can be used to get to someone who is sick or injured before an ambulance. And Domino’s, the pizza delivery giant, is testing an unmanned vehicle as a delivery option.
“Unmanned systems is where the trend is going,” he said.