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On Tuesday, April 20, the country braced for the impact of the trial verdict in death of George Floyd. Despite the case having what many would consider an overwhelming amount of evidence pointing toward conviction, if we’re completely honest, the country – and particularly the African American community – had significant doubts that the jury would render a guilty verdict.
In the hour leading up to the announcement, people and images dominated my thoughts; Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Rashard Brooks, and most recently, Daunte Wright. With the deaths of these Black Americans and many others as historical context, I took a stoic stance and held my breath as the verdict was read. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
As Mr. Chauvin was remanded to custody and led away in handcuffs, it was clear there were no “winners” in this verdict. Mr. Floyd is still dead, and violent encounters experienced by Black Americans continue at a vastly disproportionate rate. The result is far from true justice, but what we as a country do have is a moment of accountability – and perhaps an opportunity for true system-level reform.
The final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, released in May 2015, recommended major policy changes at the federal level and developed key pillars aimed at promoting effective crime reduction while building public trust. Based on this report, four key takeaways are relevant to any discussion of police reform. All are vitally important, but two stand out as particularly relevant in the aftermath of the verdict. One of the key recommendations was “embracing a guardian – rather than a warrior mindset” in an effort to build trust and legitimacy. Another was ensuring that “peace officer and standards training (POST) boards include mandatory Crisis Intervention Training.”
As health professionals, we know that the ultimate effectiveness of any intervention is based upon the amount of shared trust and collaboration in the patient-physician relationship. As a consultation-liaison psychiatrist, I’ve been trained to recognize that, when requested to consult on a case, I’m frequently not making a medical diagnosis or delivering an intervention; I’m helping the team and patient reestablish trust in each other. Communication skills and techniques help start a dialogue, but you will ultimately fall short of shared understanding without trust. The underpinning of trust could begin with a commitment to procedural justice. Procedural justice, as described in The Justice Collaboratory of Yale Law School, “speaks to the idea of fair processes and how the quality of their experiences strongly impacts people’s perception of fairness.” There are four central tenets of procedural justice:
- Whether they were treated with dignity and respect.
- Whether they were given voice.
- Whether the decision-maker was neutral and transparent.
- Whether the decision-maker conveyed trustworthy motives.
These four tenets have been researched and shown to improve the trust and confidence a community has in police, and lay the foundation for creating a standard set of shared interests and values.
As health professionals, there are many aspects of procedural justice that we can and should embrace, particularly as we come to our reckoning with the use of restraints in medical settings.
Building on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, from January 2015 through December 2018, implemented a six-city intervention aimed at generating measurable improvements in officer behavior, public safety, and community trust in police. The National Initiative was organized around three principal ideas: procedural justice, implicit bias training, and reconciliation and candid conversations about law enforcement’s historic role in racial tensions.
In addition to the recommendations of the federal government and independent institutions, national-level health policy organizations have made clear statements regarding police brutality and the need for systemic reform to address police brutality and systemic racism. In 2018, the American Psychiatric Association released a position statement on Police Brutality and Black Males. This was then followed in 2020 with a joint statement from the National Medical Association and the APA condemning systemic racism and police violence against Black Americans. Other health policy associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges, have made clear statements condemning systemic racism and police brutality.
In the aftermath of the verdict, we also saw something very different. In our partisan country, there appeared to be uniform common ground. Statements were made acknowledging the importance of this historic moment, from police unions, and both political parties, and various invested grassroots organizations. In short, we may have true agreement and motivation to take the next hard steps in police reform for this country. There will be policy discussions and new mandates for training, and certainly a push to ban the use of lethal techniques, such as choke holds. While helpful, these will ultimately fall short unless we hold ourselves accountable for a true culture change.
The challenge of implementing procedural justice shouldn’t be just a law enforcement challenge, and it shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of communities with high crime areas. In other words, no single racial group should own it. Ultimately, procedural justice will need to be embraced by all of us.
On April 20, as I watched the verdict, my oldest daughter watched with me, and she asked, “What do you think, Dad?” I responded: “It’s accountability and an opportunity.” She nodded her head with resolve. She then grabbed her smartphone and jumped into social media and proclaimed in her very knowledgeable teenage voice, “See Dad, one voice is cool, but many voices in unison is better; time to get to work!” To Darnella Frazier, who captured the crime on video at age 17, and all in your generation who dare to hold us accountable, I salute you. I thank you for forcing us to look even when it was painful and not ignore the humanity of our fellow man. It is indeed time to get to work.
Dr. Norris is associate dean of student affairs and administration at George Washington University, Washington. He has no disclosures.
On Tuesday, April 20, the country braced for the impact of the trial verdict in death of George Floyd. Despite the case having what many would consider an overwhelming amount of evidence pointing toward conviction, if we’re completely honest, the country – and particularly the African American community – had significant doubts that the jury would render a guilty verdict.
In the hour leading up to the announcement, people and images dominated my thoughts; Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Rashard Brooks, and most recently, Daunte Wright. With the deaths of these Black Americans and many others as historical context, I took a stoic stance and held my breath as the verdict was read. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
As Mr. Chauvin was remanded to custody and led away in handcuffs, it was clear there were no “winners” in this verdict. Mr. Floyd is still dead, and violent encounters experienced by Black Americans continue at a vastly disproportionate rate. The result is far from true justice, but what we as a country do have is a moment of accountability – and perhaps an opportunity for true system-level reform.
The final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, released in May 2015, recommended major policy changes at the federal level and developed key pillars aimed at promoting effective crime reduction while building public trust. Based on this report, four key takeaways are relevant to any discussion of police reform. All are vitally important, but two stand out as particularly relevant in the aftermath of the verdict. One of the key recommendations was “embracing a guardian – rather than a warrior mindset” in an effort to build trust and legitimacy. Another was ensuring that “peace officer and standards training (POST) boards include mandatory Crisis Intervention Training.”
As health professionals, we know that the ultimate effectiveness of any intervention is based upon the amount of shared trust and collaboration in the patient-physician relationship. As a consultation-liaison psychiatrist, I’ve been trained to recognize that, when requested to consult on a case, I’m frequently not making a medical diagnosis or delivering an intervention; I’m helping the team and patient reestablish trust in each other. Communication skills and techniques help start a dialogue, but you will ultimately fall short of shared understanding without trust. The underpinning of trust could begin with a commitment to procedural justice. Procedural justice, as described in The Justice Collaboratory of Yale Law School, “speaks to the idea of fair processes and how the quality of their experiences strongly impacts people’s perception of fairness.” There are four central tenets of procedural justice:
- Whether they were treated with dignity and respect.
- Whether they were given voice.
- Whether the decision-maker was neutral and transparent.
- Whether the decision-maker conveyed trustworthy motives.
These four tenets have been researched and shown to improve the trust and confidence a community has in police, and lay the foundation for creating a standard set of shared interests and values.
As health professionals, there are many aspects of procedural justice that we can and should embrace, particularly as we come to our reckoning with the use of restraints in medical settings.
Building on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, from January 2015 through December 2018, implemented a six-city intervention aimed at generating measurable improvements in officer behavior, public safety, and community trust in police. The National Initiative was organized around three principal ideas: procedural justice, implicit bias training, and reconciliation and candid conversations about law enforcement’s historic role in racial tensions.
In addition to the recommendations of the federal government and independent institutions, national-level health policy organizations have made clear statements regarding police brutality and the need for systemic reform to address police brutality and systemic racism. In 2018, the American Psychiatric Association released a position statement on Police Brutality and Black Males. This was then followed in 2020 with a joint statement from the National Medical Association and the APA condemning systemic racism and police violence against Black Americans. Other health policy associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges, have made clear statements condemning systemic racism and police brutality.
In the aftermath of the verdict, we also saw something very different. In our partisan country, there appeared to be uniform common ground. Statements were made acknowledging the importance of this historic moment, from police unions, and both political parties, and various invested grassroots organizations. In short, we may have true agreement and motivation to take the next hard steps in police reform for this country. There will be policy discussions and new mandates for training, and certainly a push to ban the use of lethal techniques, such as choke holds. While helpful, these will ultimately fall short unless we hold ourselves accountable for a true culture change.
The challenge of implementing procedural justice shouldn’t be just a law enforcement challenge, and it shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of communities with high crime areas. In other words, no single racial group should own it. Ultimately, procedural justice will need to be embraced by all of us.
On April 20, as I watched the verdict, my oldest daughter watched with me, and she asked, “What do you think, Dad?” I responded: “It’s accountability and an opportunity.” She nodded her head with resolve. She then grabbed her smartphone and jumped into social media and proclaimed in her very knowledgeable teenage voice, “See Dad, one voice is cool, but many voices in unison is better; time to get to work!” To Darnella Frazier, who captured the crime on video at age 17, and all in your generation who dare to hold us accountable, I salute you. I thank you for forcing us to look even when it was painful and not ignore the humanity of our fellow man. It is indeed time to get to work.
Dr. Norris is associate dean of student affairs and administration at George Washington University, Washington. He has no disclosures.
On Tuesday, April 20, the country braced for the impact of the trial verdict in death of George Floyd. Despite the case having what many would consider an overwhelming amount of evidence pointing toward conviction, if we’re completely honest, the country – and particularly the African American community – had significant doubts that the jury would render a guilty verdict.
In the hour leading up to the announcement, people and images dominated my thoughts; Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Rashard Brooks, and most recently, Daunte Wright. With the deaths of these Black Americans and many others as historical context, I took a stoic stance and held my breath as the verdict was read. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
As Mr. Chauvin was remanded to custody and led away in handcuffs, it was clear there were no “winners” in this verdict. Mr. Floyd is still dead, and violent encounters experienced by Black Americans continue at a vastly disproportionate rate. The result is far from true justice, but what we as a country do have is a moment of accountability – and perhaps an opportunity for true system-level reform.
The final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, released in May 2015, recommended major policy changes at the federal level and developed key pillars aimed at promoting effective crime reduction while building public trust. Based on this report, four key takeaways are relevant to any discussion of police reform. All are vitally important, but two stand out as particularly relevant in the aftermath of the verdict. One of the key recommendations was “embracing a guardian – rather than a warrior mindset” in an effort to build trust and legitimacy. Another was ensuring that “peace officer and standards training (POST) boards include mandatory Crisis Intervention Training.”
As health professionals, we know that the ultimate effectiveness of any intervention is based upon the amount of shared trust and collaboration in the patient-physician relationship. As a consultation-liaison psychiatrist, I’ve been trained to recognize that, when requested to consult on a case, I’m frequently not making a medical diagnosis or delivering an intervention; I’m helping the team and patient reestablish trust in each other. Communication skills and techniques help start a dialogue, but you will ultimately fall short of shared understanding without trust. The underpinning of trust could begin with a commitment to procedural justice. Procedural justice, as described in The Justice Collaboratory of Yale Law School, “speaks to the idea of fair processes and how the quality of their experiences strongly impacts people’s perception of fairness.” There are four central tenets of procedural justice:
- Whether they were treated with dignity and respect.
- Whether they were given voice.
- Whether the decision-maker was neutral and transparent.
- Whether the decision-maker conveyed trustworthy motives.
These four tenets have been researched and shown to improve the trust and confidence a community has in police, and lay the foundation for creating a standard set of shared interests and values.
As health professionals, there are many aspects of procedural justice that we can and should embrace, particularly as we come to our reckoning with the use of restraints in medical settings.
Building on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice, from January 2015 through December 2018, implemented a six-city intervention aimed at generating measurable improvements in officer behavior, public safety, and community trust in police. The National Initiative was organized around three principal ideas: procedural justice, implicit bias training, and reconciliation and candid conversations about law enforcement’s historic role in racial tensions.
In addition to the recommendations of the federal government and independent institutions, national-level health policy organizations have made clear statements regarding police brutality and the need for systemic reform to address police brutality and systemic racism. In 2018, the American Psychiatric Association released a position statement on Police Brutality and Black Males. This was then followed in 2020 with a joint statement from the National Medical Association and the APA condemning systemic racism and police violence against Black Americans. Other health policy associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges, have made clear statements condemning systemic racism and police brutality.
In the aftermath of the verdict, we also saw something very different. In our partisan country, there appeared to be uniform common ground. Statements were made acknowledging the importance of this historic moment, from police unions, and both political parties, and various invested grassroots organizations. In short, we may have true agreement and motivation to take the next hard steps in police reform for this country. There will be policy discussions and new mandates for training, and certainly a push to ban the use of lethal techniques, such as choke holds. While helpful, these will ultimately fall short unless we hold ourselves accountable for a true culture change.
The challenge of implementing procedural justice shouldn’t be just a law enforcement challenge, and it shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of communities with high crime areas. In other words, no single racial group should own it. Ultimately, procedural justice will need to be embraced by all of us.
On April 20, as I watched the verdict, my oldest daughter watched with me, and she asked, “What do you think, Dad?” I responded: “It’s accountability and an opportunity.” She nodded her head with resolve. She then grabbed her smartphone and jumped into social media and proclaimed in her very knowledgeable teenage voice, “See Dad, one voice is cool, but many voices in unison is better; time to get to work!” To Darnella Frazier, who captured the crime on video at age 17, and all in your generation who dare to hold us accountable, I salute you. I thank you for forcing us to look even when it was painful and not ignore the humanity of our fellow man. It is indeed time to get to work.
Dr. Norris is associate dean of student affairs and administration at George Washington University, Washington. He has no disclosures.
