"Failyuh...to Communicate"

You may remember the words of actor Strother Martin, who played a sadistic Southern prison warden in the movie “Cool Hand Luke.” They apply very well to the situation in Ferguson, MO, where an unpleasant bit of Kabuki continues to unfold. It didn’t have to be that way.

It started earlier in the month, when a young, unarmed black man was shot to death by a white police officer in that St. Louis suburb -- a tragedy, but not the first time such a thing has happened in this country, nor will it be the last. It’s all about what happens immediately after such an incident that can either keep things calm (if tense), or devolve into a Ferguson.

Police shootings happen often enough that Police Chief Magazine has a whole section on how to handle these incidents, and a couple of paragraphs on communication, “48-Hour Release Policy,” spoke to me:

“With any law enforcement shooting comes intense media scrutiny. The best policy for all parties involved in a shooting is a 48-hour release policy. Neither the officer’s name nor the name of the individual shot should be released for 48 hours. This gives the involved officers time to notify their families and arrange for temporary secure accommodations if they fear threats or retaliation may follow. The 48-hour release policy also provides the department sufficient time to properly notify the family of the individual who was shot. A professional, timely media release issued by the head of the agency sends the message that this is a serious incident that will be handled with expertise and professionalism.

It will further benefit the law enforcement agency to send personalized copies of this release to stakeholders in the community to avoid dissemination of misinformation, and to provide the community the names and phone numbers of contact persons for questions or concerns.”

You might debate the propriety of a 48-hour time frame in a modern news cycle. But do you think any of this was followed in Ferguson?  The police chief, Col. Thomas Jackson, after about a week, finally released the name of the officer involved, along with a curious video showing that the shooting victim had just stolen items from a convenience store. The chief did not coordinate this release with the Missouri state police captain who had been put in charge of security in town. And the only messages that were sent to the community involved a militarized police presence, stun grenades, and tear gas. The state’s governor did not ease any tension by calling out the National Guard, either.

Certainly, there are realistic issues that must be considered. While the family of the victim is demanding that the shooting officer be arrested, police do have a special status in our society. They are allowed to carry, and fire, their weapons under certain circumstances. They are also entitled to due process, and there are procedures in place for investigating such incidents. The community, though, must be persuaded that such investigations are impartial – which many argue is a rare occurrence.

Second, the authorities do have to maintain order. There was no excuse for stores being looted or burned or livelihoods destroyed. Those who take advantage of these situations should have books thrown at them.

Third: Yes, there are “outside agitators” who show up at these scenes because of the media attention – people who have no stake in the local community or who are under the illusion that violent protest will bring justice.

And fourth, there are long-range issues involving the racial balance of the police department in the city it’s serving, and the culture of that department.

But I think Ferguson would be just another town in Missouri dealing with a tragedy today if the simple communications strategies listed above were followed. I have always believed that effective communication calms almost any situation – in families, at work, in domestic politics, or even in international relations. Communication is the oil that makes things run better.

I would be happy to send Col. Jackson a gift subscription to Police Chief Magazine. Hopefully, though, he will be asked to “retire” soon, and may not need it.