The police profession's commitment to Community Policing has motivated me and other police professionals to get out of our police stations and police cars and get into the community. Over 30 years I have spent endless hours meeting with business leaders, religious leaders, community activists and civic leaders with the hope of preventing crime and addressing neighborhood issues that impact upon their quality of life.
However, after seeing a number of police officers from my department indicted and disciplined for mishandling young men with whom they came into contact, I realized that there was a need to give the youth in my community a voice. This realization led to the development of the Teen and Police Services Academy (TAPS) so that the teens and the police could have an opportunity to learn from each other.
Therefore, I was not surprised when I saw the angry Black Lives Matter protesters demanding better police service, voice and transparency, because during our many TAPS sessions over the years we have heard horrific police interaction stories from our youth that explain why they feel disrespected, frustrated and angry. As the co-founder of [TAPS] I encourage you to read Police and YOUth because involving youth in all of our Community Policing efforts will better prepare us for policing in the 21st Century. Additionally, this Police and YOUth will also give you, the reader, a greater insight into the world of policing as well as issues faced by our youth so that we can develop additional strategies and training like TAPS Academy that will lead to safer and better police and youth interactions.
Brian Lumpkin, Assistant Police Chief, Houston Police Department (ret.)
Perhaps at no time in history has the general public been more concerned about the behavior of police and the relationship between police and the African American community. The culmination of decades of movements to end police brutality and violence in African American communities and to achieve justice for the unjustified shootings of unarmed African American males and females occurred in the Summer of 2020.
The publication Police and YOUth comes at a time when the nation is being faced with the necessity of rethinking policing in the United States. Penn and Davenport provide a foundation for addressing the issue of Police and Community.
For the first time in our history, people and policymakers are acknowledging how law enforcement has ignored the crimes occurring against the LGBT community, the murders of transgender people, and how the police have historically harassed and tormented members of the LGBT community. The numbers of Whites participating in demonstrations connected to the Black Lives Matter Movement is now outnumbering the African Americans. Instead of calls for reforms, greater accountability and more training, a significant segment of these movements are calling for defunding the police or at the least significantly decreasing funding and reallocating dollars to social services and housing. This book has shown that through programs like TAPS Academy we can expand our knowledge and improve relationships with the police.
How did we get to this moment in history and where do we go from here? Is there any hope for improving the relationship between youth, police and communities of color? Police and YOUth addresses these issues and presents data on programs that have been found to significantly improve relationships with the police and young people. TAPS Academy, which Dr. Penn directs, addresses the next generation of youth that are approaching adolescence and seeks to find ways to improve the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color.
This book provides the reader with a firm foundation of the history of policing in America and the incendiary relationship that this institution has had with communities of color. For the first time in our history, people and policymakers are acknowledging how law enforcement has ignored the crimes occurring against people of color by the police.
The author calls for a new discipline within Criminal Justice at colleges and universities, 'Youth and Police Studies.' The major focus would be on juvenile and police relationships using information from the TAPS program, as well as other programs that have proven successful. Currently, the only program offering a minor in Youth and Police Studies is the University of Houston at Clear Lake. The book lays the foundation for others to follow and build the field.
This is a great book and should be used not only as a text for academics but should also be required reading for every police officer and trainee in the United States. The authors have included 10 take-aways for police departments as well as 10 take-aways for citizens. Reducing social distance and increasing diversity are the two important take-aways for police and citizens. There are eight more take-aways for citizens and police. Each take-away is important to move police and citizens close together. This book will create discussions for years to come about the mission and ability to create stronger relationships between youth and police, especially those in communities of color.
Dr. Julius Debro, University of Washington
Police and YOUth takes the reader on a journey through historic and recent examples of racial injustice which have fueled the flames of anger, distrust, and calls for dismantling police authority. While the journey is difficult, the authors provide a promising path forward for stakeholders searching for positive change. This book is a must-read for police and government officials seeking to understand the Black Live Matter Movement and how to begin to bridge the divide that threatens us all.
Vikki King, Inspector, University of Texas at Houston Police Department; Assistant Chief, Houston Police Department (ret.)
