Law enforcement and law enforcement officers were much in the media spotlight in 2020; it appears that the same will hold true this year. Much of the attention arose from the bad actions, sometimes criminal ones, of a very few police officers elsewhere in America. Consequently, legislators at both the state and federal levels are busy this year with bills targeted upon “reforming” law enforcement.
Every responsible law enforcement leader welcomes the effort to better our profession. It is our hope that we will have a seat at the table as the discussion continues. It is vital that the baby doesn’t get thrown out with the bathwater as change comes. We must ensure that needed revisions in our laws do not hamstring ethical law enforcement officers (and almost all are) in their efforts to keep our communities safe.
In Corinth, your police department already has most of the mandates in place that have been the focus of national discussion. For example:
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Ban chokeholds unless lethal force would be authorized. Corinth PD has long had this ban in place.
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Forbid shooting at or from moving vehicles. We already do.
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Do not conduct “no-knock” warrants. We do not.
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Do not allow “warning shots.” We do not.
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Require a “duty to intervene.” Corinth Police Department policy requires that any officer who observes the use of excessive force or any other unlawful action by another law enforcement officer must intervene to stop it and immediately report it to a supervisor. We take this mandate very seriously.
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Have a policy in place to prevent reckless, high-speed vehicle pursuits. The Department enforces a highly restrictive vehicle chase policy.
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Equip each officer with a body-worn camera. Corinth patrol officers have worn these cameras for years. Each patrol car is also equipped with multiple cameras.
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Prohibit racial profiling. The Corinth Police Department has long banned this unlawful practice in all of its interactions with the public.
But it is one thing to have a nice-sounding set of policies and quite another to see to it that they are obeyed. We scrupulously enforce these vital guidelines at the Corinth Police Department. It helps that we have excellent supervisors and an extremely rigorous selection process for those who aspire to be Corinth police officers. We hire only the best.
We treasure the incredible support we receive from our residents. We realize that it is something that we must re-earn every day, in every contact with the public. We pledge to do just that.
Jerry Garner, a 51-year veteran of law enforcement, is Corinth’s chief of police.
