This is going to be an amazing year for the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, and we want to thank everyone for making that possible. One of the greatest things I have learned from the CSPOA is the proper role of law enforcement. As a young child, I grew up with two Florida Highway Patrol officers as parents and a longtime friend who was a Marion County deputy sheriff. Though I never worked the beat, I did hear stories and saw how they carried themselves.
The Constitution lays out the proper role of government. The field manual on the proper role of law enforcement was forged by many yet written by one: Sheriff Richard Mack. In his book “The Proper Role of Law Enforcement,” Sheriff Mack eloquently demonstrates the historical basis of the proper role of law enforcement.
Many citizens fear an encounter with police, and to some, even a friendly encounter can be unsettling. In our humble opinion, this can be somewhat attributed to policing by the numbers. At the CSPOA we continually reinforce the need for our nation’s peace officers to regularly associate with the people in their patrol areas, making more positive contact with the public. This practice has been called community-oriented policing, and we are starting to see this practice re-emerge across the country.
On Jan. 15, Gainesville Police Officer Bobby White responded to a complaint about kids playing basketball in the street. Dashcam footage of the encounter shows White approaching one of the nervous youths, saying, “Can you believe someone called and complained about kids playing basketball on the street?” White continued, “I don’t know who called, but I don’t have a problem with it.” After a short hesitation, the youth throws the ball to White, and they begin to play for 11 minutes or so. Before leaving, White promised he would return for a rematch.
This dashcam footage went viral, getting millions of views on social media, but White had no idea what would happen next. To his surprise, when White returned for a rematch with the youths Jan. 23, he was joined by former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, who saw the video and decided to join in. White, Shaq and other GPD officers joined the youths for one of the most significant yet low-key games of basketball ever played.
For this act of leadership and humility, we award the Florida CSPOA Public Official of the Month for January 2016 to White. He is a shining example of what the proper role of law enforcement looks like. White could have issued a brash warning or a citation, but instead decided to take a different approach. This approach, one we advocate at the CSPOA, is building relationships that will strengthen the foundation of our local communities.
This approach must be initiated by the people, too, and it is incumbent upon all of us to build these key relationships. Many think the restoration of America begins at the polls by electing a different option for Washington, D.C. Though a great idea, the real solution lies at the local level with the people, peace officers like White and strong organizations such as the CSPOA.
Would you like to get involved with the CSPOA? Consider a donation or becoming a member. Visit us online at CSPOA.org for more information about our organization and how to get involved.
Kevin Blake is the Florida director of the CSPOA.
