I’ve been shocked by how bad some police responses have been to the protests across America and how much police seem to misunderstand them. As a researcher in emergency management I have to speak up, even if the close relationship of EM and policing makes it uncomfortable. [1/14]

In disaster ethics, we teach the concept of ‘special duties’– obligations that arise because of roles we take on. Emergency management is full of them. Firefighters gain special duties to enter burning buildings. Paramedics & doctors take on special duties to help the ill. [2/14]

Special duties mean we are responsible to a higher standard than others. Firefighters can’t run away from the flames, but they also must know special techniques to put the fires out – techniques the average person wouldn’t be expected to know. [3/14]

Perhaps no one has greater special duties than police officers. They are granted huge powers by society (carrying weapons, being allowed to use force, having authority over others) because of a special duty, their core responsibility: to keep people and communities safe. [4/14]

But these dangerous powers are only handed over because we trust that their use will be incredibly rare, incredibly careful, and /absolutely/ /only/ when they are in the best interest of society. In other words, the powers come with a massive special duty of careful use. [5/14]

In other words, special duties mean we have more responsibility to others because we're empowered. Firefighters can’t look at a burning house & forget their training/act sloppy because it’s scary, anxiety-inducing, or high-pressure. They must perform to a higher standard. [6/14]

As an example of police /fulfilling/ their special duty, see Constable Ken Lam. During the 2018 van attack in Toronto, Lam faced off –alone– with the man who drove his van through crowds. Yet, Lam arrested him without so much as a hit with a baton: [7/14]

For any normal person in that situation, self-defense would have felt justified. Repeatedly, the suspect baited Lam, pretending to draw a gun and charging him into the street. But Lam had a special duty: to deescalate the situation, even if it was terrifying and risky. [8/14]

That’s what’s misunderstood: protesters are saying, in part, “police aren’t fulfilling their special duty.”

They’re saying “talk about ‘justifiable force’ misunderstands what policing is.”

That “did you push #RegisKorchinski?” is insufficient: it’s “did you deescalate?” [9/14]

The special duties of policing mean that officers must find creative ways to deescalate when faced with violence.

They must confront anger and defuse it so that no one gets hurt.

They must face stress and fear and vitriol without taking it out on those around them. [10/14]

So when protestors are met with batons & pepper spray & rammed by police cars, police are choosing to fail terribly at their special duties.

They’re replying to protests that shout “a higher standard applies” by saying, showing, and proving that “no standard applies.” [11/14]

Agencies that have responded well have understood the protests. Officers have dropped weapons, knelt, and joined communities.

They've combined de-escalation training, strict policy, meaningful oversight, and heavy scrutiny for /any/ use of force. https://twitter.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1266944813062111239 [12/14]

This is a massive system transformation.

It means entirely rethinking who police hire, how they train, what they carry, and how they respond.

It means oversight with much more courage, skepticism, enforcement, independence, and higher standards.

https://twitter.com/samswey/status/1180655701271732224 [13/14]

This is wildly difficult & scary, but it’s what special duties require. Becoming a police officer – or any emergency manager/responder – means signing up to to defuse, to deescalate, to calm, to be level-headed, and to meet anger with peace, empathy, and compassion. [14/14]