George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor are just some of the more recent names synonymous with extreme brutality and the police. These incidents, once addressed internally by many police departments across the country, have led to a heightened sense of community awareness, prosecutorial intervention and are no longer acceptable methods to right or prevent these devastating crimes from occurring.
This piece neither defends the merits of and/or discusses concepts such as privatizing, defunding, or removing police departments altogether, but looks at how communities of color, marginalized and underrepresented, can maintain the critical connection with police departments by partnering with the private sector. Private security and investigative service providers are now playing a pivotal role in addressing community security and safety awareness, encouraging action through empowerment and outreach, and are capable of providing the tactical tools to sustain and thrive with limited need for police intervention.
Pivoting in the 21st Century & Role of the Private Sector
At present, many police departments across the country are in a state of flux. Since March 2020 with the onset of the current health crisis, cities, counties and states have cut many essential services leading to fiscal constraints imposed upon its police departments. Local governments have struggled with financial issues leading to deep cutbacks to all their public agencies. Nonetheless, police departments continue to play a pivotal role in the day-to-day security and safety of our communities. Whether you’re involved in a traffic accident or a victim of a crime, it’s critical that you always call 911 in an emergency and report that incident to the police. A police response and report are critical in safeguarding and documenting your condition should you become disabled or require the intervention of the healthcare and legal systems. A police report serves as your personal narrative and/or the observations of important witnesses of the facts and circumstances.
Whether a motor vehicle accident or a slip and fall, a police accident report will be needed for your insurance company to file a claim and assist with recovering lost wages, medical expenses and subsequent lawsuits filed on your behalf or against you. If you are a victim of a crime, such as a stolen wallet or identity theft, a police report will protect against unnecessary creditors. Police officers are trained to prepare these complaint reports regardless of the severity of the situation and guide you through the process of obtaining this important document.
The Role of the Private Sector
Over the past few years, many police departments have received bad press, specifically on how they address problems in communities predominantly of color, often underrepresented economically and politically. While systemic bias is at the core of this belief and the impact of this negativity is sometimes warranted, most police officers will go out of their way to assist a victim of a crime, and the communities they serve. You cannot negate the fact that police departments are now facing a reduction in seasoned manpower resulting from early retirements and limited resources, which has led to a significant reduction in services and in general, the overall quality of policing.
Not only are police departments deferring to alternative resources outside their agencies for help, but the public is also seeking the advice of private sector investigators and security professionals such as Integrated Security Services. Police departments are now encouraging community leaders to reach out to private companies to address their security, safety and investigative concerns. With alternative resources, experienced personnel and unlimited time to spend with potential clients and community organizers, the private sector offers cost effective solutions tailored specifically to the problem, budget and needs of the community.
In a recently published New York Times article by Greg Bensinger, “Why Uber Won’t Call the Police,” the article focuses on an Uber passenger and victim of an assault by the Uber driver who is then directed to report the matter to an Uber representative and not the police. Clearly, this is both self-serving and very bad advice. At Integrated Security Services, we always recommend you dial 911 in an emergency. Your first line of defense as a crime victim is the police. That said, and after exhausting all remedies with your local police department, private companies like Integrated Security Services can offer additional resources to crime victims and ascertain key information associated with offenders, crime statistics, locating important witnesses, reconstructing crime scenes and more…These services can provide victims with information that companies like Uber and other publicly traded companies do not want disclose.
Conclusion
To paraphrase an article in the trade publication International Association of Chiefs of Police called Private Police Coming to a Neighborhood Near You! Why Private Police May be an Important Element of Future Law Enforcement, police departments continue to be slashed, thus eliminating services, while some figures in politics and the media have vilified the police reducing the growth rate of law enforcement. This has become the reality of policing in the United States and why private sector investigation and security companies are becoming more integral in combating crime and assisting crime victims.
At Integrated Security Services, our seasoned team of retired law enforcement professionals and private sector investigators will take the time to listen to your complaint, provide you with a sense of hope and timely advice. Our investigators can be reached at our toll-free number 888-808-9119 and of course via our website at info@intesecurity.com.
Notes:
Besinger, Greg, “Why Uber Won’t Call the Police,” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/opinion/uber-safety-ride-sharing.html
Risley, David, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). “Private Police Coming to a Neighborhood Near You! Why Private Police May Be an Important Element of Future Law Enforcement.” https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/private-police-coming-to-a-neighborhood/
