Can a police commissioner have a visceral reaction?

Police Commissioner Kelly thinks he can’t, or at least in response to the Sean Bell shooting. “I can't afford to have a visceral reaction” is what he literally said. To me, this is an example of deflective, evasive and non-committal communication that won’t benefit the process of debate. But in an interesting discussion following a presentation I just held on this topic, a different vantage point emerged.

Nick Ragone pointed out: "It makes sense – he is representing the rank-and-file. He can’t be critical. Moreover, he is bound by legal restrictions. The Mayor, on the other hand, represents all New Yorkers, and it makes sense he will seek conciliation."

It made me think. Yes, there is definitely truth in this. But still...is it smart for the Police Commissioner just to ‘represent’ the police and therefore say ‘I can’t have a visceral reaction’? To me, this won’t improve police-community relations, and moreover, it will be detrimental to the morale of the rank-and-file who have such a profound presence in the community and will have to deal with negative responses. My opinion: If you want the community to respond well to the police – not only in the political arena of debate, but also on street level – then yes, you not only have to communicate to them, but also with them. Moreover, isn’t it a challenge to find ways to communicate effectively within the legal restrictions and work towards conflict resolution?

I would love to ask him this myself – Next week more on my mission to interview some stakeholders here!!

Bloomberg and Kelly: two different communicators

How does the communication between Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly differ in the aftermath of the Sean Bell shooting? Here is a piece of analysis I would like to share with you from my dissertation. This specific analysis deals with the interpretations of both concerning the role of communication. It shows how talk that appears to be similar in nature, in fact can differ to great extent. First, take a look at the following two New York Times excerpts:

MAYOR BLOOMBERG

Just before the acquittals
News conference Bloomberg just before Judge Cooperman’s verdict:

Speaking at a news conference at Public School 36 in St. Albans, Mr. Bloomberg said he had met with community leaders several times in recent days, praising the ethnic diversity and joy he sees not far from where Mr. Bell died on the morning of his wedding day in a storm of 50 bullets.

“In the six and a half years I've been mayor,” he said before reporters asked any questions, “the most important thing is always the importance of keeping open communication and constant collaboration. And that's true whether it's about fighting crime or building housing or the economy or education. I've always thought that if we keep listening to each other, keep committing ourselves to be better as neighbors and as communities, there's no challenge that we can't overcome, and I think this community's a good example of this.”

POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY

Just after the shooting
New York Times excerpt on the role of Police Commissioner Kelly in the aftermath of the shooting:

Mr. Kelly said he has a long history inside the department and as a government official in Washington of improving the culture of agencies, combating racial profiling, and holding his own people accountable. He also said his diplomatic skills in times of crisis have not atrophied in the years that his focus has been pulled toward domestic security, an effort that is without precedent in the department.

“I’ve always prided myself on being forthright and open with the community, and not holding very much back -- what you see is what you get with me,” he added.

“I think you build relationships, and you can go back to other incidents perhaps where people relied on something I’ve said or I’ve done, and hopefully that’s built up a certain level of trust,” Mr. Kelly said. “You hope that is something that is going to play a role.”

What strikes first in the above quotes is how both Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly – in their interpretation of the processes that ensued after the Sean Bell shooting – refer to their period in office and recollect their ‘on the job’ experiences. (‘In the six and a half years I've been mayor’/ ‘Mr. Kelly said he has a long history inside the department’). Also, both acknowledge that good, open communication is important in police-community relations, of which the interaction processes that occur after police shootings are a part of (‘the most important thing is always the importance of keeping open communication and constant collaboration’/ you build relationships … and hopefully that’s built up a certain level of trust’).

However, while the Police Commissioner interprets the police-community communications from a self-centered ‘praising’ perspective (‘I’ve always prided myself on being forthright and open’), and moreover, foremost looks at his own role in this (‘something I’ve said or I’ve done’), the Mayor conversely interprets such communications from both a stakeholder-centered perspective and a two-way interactive process, of which the Mayor is part of (‘if we keep listening to each other’), without commending himself for his communication skills, or interpreting his role in other ways. This ‘commending’ does to a certain extent occur on other instances not captured in the New York Times, yet again, the quotes in the New York Times rather show the emphasis than the totality of communication.

Thus, while the Police Commissioner not so much interprets the events that take place after the shooting as part of a broader interactive communications process, but rather from a self-centered framing and a pattern of excelling communication skills on behalf of the Police Commissioner, the Mayor conversely mainly interprets the events as part of a much broader communication process concerning much broader problems than just police misconduct (‘that's true whether it's about fighting crime or building housing or the economy or education.’), in which he, but also others, take part.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It makes sense that the stakeholder-centered talk conveyed by Mayor Bloomberg is more beneficial to the process of debate than the self-centered talk of Police Commissioner Kelly. But there is much more to it, as this is just a brief excerpt of my research. I understand the difficult position of the Police Commissioner, but still I think his communication efforts can be improved. To be continued!