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Police use discipline to improve respect
By ERIC STIRGUS © St. Petersburg Times, published January 15, 2001 On a blustery morning, 39 fresh-faced police recruits, most dressed in beige uniforms with short-sleeved shirts, stood in formation, sternly looking ahead as they waited for the next command.
Some moved with swift precision, taking a half-step to the left. Others seemed less certain. "You'll get it," Hailey assured the recruits. It was just their second day of training at St. Petersburg Junior College's Allstate Center in St. Petersburg, but John Dressback, the man leading this class, wants these future officers to learn discipline. Dressback is fully aware of the chilly reception many academy recruits have gotten from the public in recent years, and he thinks the officers bear some of the responsibility for it. "There used to be a lot more respect for police officers," said Dressback, who retired after a 25-year career with the St. Petersburg Police Department in 1997. "I think we're partly to blame. "In order to show respect, we have to give respect." In recent years, some academy graduates have not been as respectful or as disciplined as the police departments who hired them wanted them to be. Largo police supervisors were so concerned they asked for a meeting held earlier this month to discuss their concerns. Academy officials say they share the concern and have vowed to demand more discipline, beginning with this class of recruits. "I think we have gotten away from the military bearing we had," said Dressback, academy coordinator for the SouthEastern Public Safety Institute at St. Petersburg Junior College. Largo's concerns include the failure of new officers to address their supervisors respectfully, a lack of self-control when dealing with residents and mistakes made by officers that could put themselves or other officers in danger. In the past three years, the police department has had to fire six officers who were recent academy graduates. The city pays $2,060 to send an officer through the academy. "It just seems like when a recruit comes in, some of them are not ready for all of the requirements that come with being a police officer," said acting police Chief Judy Gershkowitz. In particular, academy trainers want recruits to speak and address people in a more professional manner and become more courteous to the public and their superiors. By instilling discipline, academy officials think the recruits will become more professional with the public. A "yes, sir" or a "no, ma'am" would be preferable as opposed to what Dressback calls "natural language." "Educated people should not be using natural language or profanity when dealing with the public," he said. James Escalona, a 36-year-old police recruit for Largo, agrees. "You have to treat people with respect," he said. "People will respond better if you are reasonable with them, and they will show you respect." Such respect was not displayed in a Largo incident involving resident Todd Gray and Largo police Officer Frank Parr. On March 12, 1999, Parr drove up to Gray and pointed his finger at the man in an effort to get Gray to slow down. Gray thought the officer was ordering him to pull over and did so. "Do you know how fast you were going?," Parr asked, according to an Internal Affairs report. "You need to slow the f--- down." Gray, who said he had two children in the vehicle with him, was amazed at the officer's use of language. He called the police department to complain. Parr admitted he cursed at the man and got a written reprimand. Since 1998, there have been 55 complaints of rudeness or discourteous behavior on the part of Largo police personnel. Fourteen of those cases were sustained, police department figures show. In each instance, that person was given either a written reprimand or ordered to undergo counseling. In 1999, the most recent year such statistics were available, St. Petersburg police received 73 complaints of discourteous behavior against its officers. Of those 73 complaints, 13 were sustained, according to police Maj. J.R. Thompson, the department's internal affairs commander. In the past three years, Clearwater police found just one such complaint warranted discipline, according to police spokesman Wayne Shelor. That employee was a police aide, he said. The effort to teach recruits how to better deal with the public and department supervisors is part of a national trend. In 1997, the New York Police Department created a program to train all patrol officers to work better with the public and help organize police-community discussion groups. The program is called Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect. Although the age of most recruits has not changed over the years, their values are not the same as their bosses'. Many recruits are college graduates, taught to "think outside the box" or "question authority," said Elaine Deck, who provides training and technical assistance to smaller law enforcement agencies for the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Alexandria, Va. "They have a different look at life and their peers and their superior officers," said Deck, 54. "It's not that they're being disrespectful. They want to understand how things are and how things connect." Many police supervisors served in the military and were trained not to question authority. But most of the officers who are now going through the academy did not serve in the military and do not have those same values. That can be a problem, considering police departments are paramilitary organizations. "They were never drafted, so they don't have the same amount of command structure that those who went through military service have," Deck said. Gershkowitz would like to see a balance between strict discipline and efforts to train recruits how to think up ways to make their community safer. "We want critical thinking. We want professionalism," said Gershkowitz. "We do have to be prepared for that questioning, but they have to understand that there is a time and a place for everything." Lessons in discipline will be sprinkled throughout the 19-week class, instructors say. In addition, Largo police and other area law enforcement agencies will send officers to the academy to train the recruits on a more consistent basis. Dressback, a slim man with an easygoing manner, watched the recruits as they were taught how to salute the American flag during the recent training session. He walked in front of them and showed them how they were to walk to class each morning. "Any questions?" he asked. "No, sir," a few said in low voices. "I can't hear you," Dressback said. "No, sir," they responded clearly, in unison. "Very good," Dressback said.
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