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Johan Leman, 18 March 2022

This week our podcast is about police, young people, metropolitanism and racism. Our guest is Mr Paul Jacobs, former chief of police and lecturer in ethics at various police schools.  The podcast is well worth listening to in the different languages.

If I were to draw some very factual and very brief conclusions myself, which, although not fundamental, could probably improve things without costing 1 € , I would suggest the following:

1.            Authorities should ask police schools, as well as police antennae, to make a mission statement of no more than 10 points, which is clearly posted and which everyone in the police force carries in their pocket. If it contains more than 10 points, it is no longer a mission statement….

It provides:

Point 1: Police = service to society.

Point 2: Respect for human rights is a duty for every police officer (m/f) in every situation and to everyone, even in the most difficult situation.

2.            Let 25% of the training of police officers take place on the streets in a big city.

3.            After training, provide a one month internship of 5 days a week in an ngo, working with people, young and not so young, in a difficult situation.

4.            Demilitarise the outfit of the chiefs of community police in the districts.

5.            Invite, at meetings between young people and police officers, that each police officer (m/f) present convinces a colleague to come along next time ; and invite each youngster to invite another one, in both cases people who don’t believe one can improve the relations between youngsters and police.

This costs nothing. But it would already mean a change in a practice that has been going on for 30 years, with always the same attempts, but without any noticeable improvement.  

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