Policing in 2020 — Bristol council candidates have different ideas

Policing has been a hot topic across America in 2020, with high-profile cases of police brutality shining a spotlight on the structure, training and mission of modern police forces. Concurrently, the rise of the Black Lives Matter organization has triggered a national shouting match over the concept of “defunding the police” and whatever that might entail.

It has also been a hot-button issue in the Bristol Town Council race, with some conservative critics questioning whether Democrats who support Black Lives Matter will support or try to dismantle the local police force.

In the past week, all eight candidates for council were asked about policing in 2020 and, in particular, their local police department. Not surprisingly, all had high praise for the current Bristol Police Department, its national accreditation status and the community work of its officers.

But they do not all agree on the future of policing, and whether the police could or should change to meet the modern demands of the job — which can include crime prevention, mixed with heavy doses of mental health screening, social work, substance abuse crises, traffic details and community education.

Here’s where all eight stand on policing in 2020.

Adam Ramos (D)
A new type of department?

Adam Ramos has the most expansive vision for what a re-shaped, modern police force could be. Like all others, he praises the police department here and Chief Kevin Lynch’s many initiatives over the past year.

“I think the Bristol Police Department, particularly under the direction under Chief Lynch, has the right idea, and is doing many of the things that a police department should be doing,” he said.

But today’s police force is asked to do so many things that don’t fit the image one had as a 5-year-old thinking about becoming a cop — “fighting crime is not the most significant role that the Bristol police department is playing,” he said.

Mr. Ramos wonders if the department could evolve into more of a health and public safety department, with several services under one umbrella — law enforcement of course always being a principal role.

“The first step is to examine all of the tasks that the department does, how their time is spent, the manner in which it’s carried out, and do an analysis on whether we can improve any of those processes … That might include when and where police officers need to be armed … That might include what others types of professionals need to be employed in the department …. That might include renaming the department, altogether, to be a public health and safety department.”

Mr. Ramos described a department where highly trained dispatchers screen calls to assess the appropriate level of response and send the right people to the scene. That could lead to a social worker, a substance abuse counselor, a domestic violence advocate, an armed police officer — or some combination of these trained professionals — responding to a situation based on its unique circumstances. In this vision, all of the above would be co-workers under the one umbrella of the public safety department.

Mr. Ramos is quick to add that he does not have all the answers, and the only way to get the answers is to ask the questions and engage the current police force as a partner in the process.

“You need to build the relationship and the trust with the department, so they know you’re not coming in and telling them they’re doing something wrong and you want to fix it. That’s not at all what I’m talking about,” Mr. Ramos said. “We need to ask them, ‘Are we giving you all the tools that you need to do what we’re asking you to do.’ ”

Bethany Sousa Foster (D)
Handle mental health calls differently

Bethany Sousa Foster sent a written statement in response to this question. After praising recent efforts by Chief Lynch to bring improvements to the department, she wrote:

“A new idea that I have talked about previously is rethinking having armed officers responding to mental health calls. A member of my family struggles with mental illness. We have needed to call for assistance on more than one occasion. The police respond and, while they have always been kind and compassionate, I know that my family member would have been more comfortable with someone who wasn’t armed and would get more assistance from a trained social worker or therapist.

“This model has proved effective in cities where it's been tried, like Eugene, Ore., Denver, Chicago, Hartford, Conn., and several Pennsylvania counties. Studies show that voters prefer sending trained mental health professionals to mental health calls rather than armed officers.

“Of course, this approach would not be appropriate for all mental health calls. A mental health professional wouldn’t be sent to respond to someone with a mental illness who had a gun, of course, as I’ve overheard some community members discussing as a possible negative of the program.

“I would be interested in continuing to explore other models of policing and investigating what is working in other communities.”

Mike Byrnes (I)
Think carefully about any changes

The retired Army general has one word to describe any suggestion of defunding police departments: Idiotic. “It makes no sense at all,” he said. He also does not believe people can support Black Lives Matter and also support the police. “You can’t say you’re a strong supporter of Black Lives Matter, but then say you’re not in support of defunding the police,” he said.

With regards to the Bristol force, Mr. Byrnes also has high praise.

“The police have one of the most difficult jobs of any sector in any community. Ninety-eight percent of police officers are good, professional people, who are out there trying to do the right thing in an extremely confrontational environment,” Mr. Byrnes said. “Not necessarily in Bristol, but in any large city, it’s a tremendous challenge … to maintain the patience and fortitude to get the job done. There is a thin line between chaos and mayhem, and order and civility, in any community.”

As for the idea of transferring some traditional police duties to other sectors, Mr. Byrnes is skeptical. “Do you set up a new agency? Do they have their own leadership structure? Do they have their own cars?” he asked.

“There are mental health case that are pretty violent, so sending a social worker out there might not be the right thing … A lot of mental illness cases might be drug-related. So someone pumped up on Meth might not respond to a social worker.”

He added, “Domestic violence calls can be some of the most difficult and dangerous calls police have to face. These ideas need to be thought through very carefully.”

Nathan Calouro (D)
The appropriate police force

Having spent eight years on the council, Nathan Calouro has helped review and shape eight police department budgets. Asked about the structure, staffing and role of the police department in 2020, he said, “I’ve thought a lot about this, and I believe we appropriately fund the police department.”

Expanding on that thought, he said the town and its taxpayers don’t give the police more than they need to do their jobs, and they don’t give them less than they need. And his views are not shaped by blind trust in the cops.

“I do not follow the police blindly, I do it with open eyes,” Mr. Calouro said. “I have trust and faith in the chief and the officers of this department.”

He went on to talk about some of their achievements, principally national accreditation, but also some of their training and policies. He also talked about their own pride in their community.

“I make it a point to talk to them whenever I can, at events, or on their personal time, to get their feedback. They’re really proud of their community, and they do feel as though they have the support of this community,” Mr. Calouro said.

Pressed for feedback on whether he could envision a different type of public safety department, as suggested by others, Mr. Caloruo was skeptical of the idea.

“Just like you don’t call a plumber when you need an electrician, you don’t call the police department when you need a counselor,” he said. “I believe that when you call the police, it’s because you need a police officer.”

Mary Parella (R)
An excellent force, as it is

As a lifelong Bristol resident and longtime elected official, Ms. Parella has had plenty of time to observe and form opinions about the local police force. She thinks the 2020 model is better than it’s ever been, and the department has been on a steady climb upward for at least 20 years.

“Law enforcement, in general, has gotten a lot more professional, and for the last 20 years, at least, we’ve had a really professional department here in Bristol,” Ms. Parella said. “This department was one of the first in our state to be nationally accredited. That speaks volumes to the level of service they provide.”

Ms. Parella is a strong advocate for mental health services and social work when appropriate, and she believes the police department already has strong partnerships to access those services when necessary.

“For many, many years, our department has been working together, hand in hand, with those services,” Ms. Parella said. “Like any kind of partnership, things can ebb and flow, depending on who the people are involved, but I do think those resources are in place, and we’ve worked with them for a really long time.”

In addition, “I think the police have gotten much better, over time, at dealing with mental health cases,” Ms. Parella said.

She said there have been times in her personal life when police have been called to a scene involving mental health issues and the officers — new to the force, working third-shift — have had no idea who she is, town councilor or otherwise. “They could not have been nicer,” she said. “I think our police officers are so incredibly respectful and professional.”

Ms. Parella also has enormous pride in the Bristol department’s longtime role as a community educator and watchdog. “Former Chief Josh Canario used to always say, ‘We educate, and then we enforce.’ I love that philosophy,” Ms. Parella said.

She also praised the police for silently providing services that go unrecognized — showing up at schools during peak traffic times, building relationships with young people and their parents, monitoring playgrounds and anticipating trouble spots before they can happen.

Antonio “Tony” Teixeira (I)
Officers are the best first-responders

Similar to Ms. Parella, Tony Teixeira believes policing, in general, has greatly improved throughout his lifetime. By banning choke holds, receiving diversity training and maintaining national accreditation, the Bristol Police Department is already setting a high standard, Mr. Teixeira believes.

“Our new chief has certainly been very proactive,” he said. “He’s taken a department that was already in a good place, and he’s made it even better.”

Those improvements derive from a department that is willing to evaluate itself and accept change. “This is an evolving process, and they’ve accepted the fact that things can change,” Mr. Teixeira said.

Having said that, he does not agree with others who envision a different approach to policing. “I believe a policer officer is still the right person to be the first-responder … They need to come in and assess a situation,” he said. “That doesn’t mean they need to be the only responder. They can assess and bring in other people. But the police officer is still the right person.”

Timothy Sweeney (D)
A great department, keep training

Tim Sweeney is proud of everything happening at the Bristol Police Department these days.

“I’m very proud of the police department we have here in Bristol,” he said. “And I’m lucky to live in a town that is cited in a lot of magazines as one of the safest in America … What I really like about the mission of this department is community policing.”

Mr. Sweeney mentioned the department’s new therapy dog, Brody, its school resource officers, drug drop-off and gun buyback programs, and consistent training in an array of subjects, like diversity and de-escalation.

Mr. Sweeney talked about the murder of George Floyd, which sparked national outrage and the focus on policing. “In the George Floyd incident, there should have been a second officer who told him to pull back,” he said. That’s why Mr. Sweeney credits Police Chief Lynch for banning choke holds and having conversations about use of force.

“Bristol’s use of force is very, very low,” he said. “We don’t have a track record of being a very forceful police department.”

As for “changing” the department, Mr. Sweeney suggested only one major area of focus, which actually falls on the town council. “Come budget time, we need to make sure the police department has all the money in the budget it needs for training … You can’t just train one time and expect things to click. It’s an ongoing process.”

Aaron Ley (D)
Not an ‘either-or’ choice

Aaron Ley has a unique perspective on policing, since he was one. He served in the Army National Guard and was trained and deployed overseas as a military police officer.

“I do have a special appreciation for what our police officers face,” he said. Even seemingly mundane tasks like crowd control and compliance checks carry a heavyweight burden of stress.

On the topic of changing the current force into something new, Mr. Ley does not see an either-or choice. “A lot of people think this is a zero-sum game — you either have a militarized police force, or you have one geared toward social service.” But it’s not; you can blend the two roles together, he believes. “I get frustrated when I hear people making this as an either-or thing … This is where we can work together.”

“Your already see our police force doing a lot of things related to social services,” Mr. Ley said, mentioning the department’s lock box program for the elderly, car seat installations, and a registry for elderly citizens with Alzheimers.

“And one of my favorite programs is the Bristol Youth Academy, where they’re working with younger people to teach them leadership skills — the kids also get to recognize the humanity of our police officers,” he said.

Mr. Ley puts enormous stock in the department’s national accreditation. “That accreditation is a really powerful thing,” he said. “When you’re an accredited agency, you’re always on the lookout for ways you can make improvements … I feel like our police department has found ways to improve their relationship with this community, and that’s a positive thing.”

Finally, Mr. Ley believes that training for officers — both as a group and for individuals — is critical to maintaining a quality force going forward.

“Think about the power of having a police officer who has a master’s degree in criminal justice, or a master’s degree in social services,” he said.