Editor’s note: This commentary is by Curtiss Reed Jr., who is the executive director of the Vermont Partnership for Fairness & Diversity.
[I]n spite of Vermont’s recent designation as the safest state in the nation by Yahoo Homes, events in Ferguson, Staten Island, Cleveland and elsewhere across the nation has many Vermonters wondering about racial bias in Vermont law enforcement. Where there is scant information the tendency is to fill the void with whatever the prevailing negative narrative might be. This commentary offers to fill that void with a brief retrospective on how Vermont State Police (VSP) leadership has been shaping a more responsive, culturally competent agency. More so than any other state agency, Vermont State Police has demonstrated conspicuously courageous leadership in the areas of bias reduction and cultural competency.
A decade ago Col. James Baker, then director of the Vermont State Police, came to my office unannounced to discuss our published study on Brattleboro’s minority community perceptions of law enforcement. Unlike other law enforcement leadership who sought to dispute our research findings of perceived racial profiling and bias, or to challenge our research methodology, or to question the motives or credibility of our community organization, Col. Baker had another agenda.
Col. Baker came to find out what we thought he could do to increase trust between minority communities and law enforcement in general and VSP, in particular. Rather than discount the experiences of people of color he took our conversations to reflect on the agency’s history and his own upbringing, biases and prejudices.
As a result he brought enhanced professional development on the demographic and cultural shifts underway in Vermont, the economic imperative for addressing bias, and the role bias plays in the highly decentralized, discretionary decision making environment of troopers in the field.
In June 2008 Col. Baker testified before the Vermont State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights (VSAC/USCCR) that he had undertaken the following actions to address racial bias including: 1) the issuance of a vision and expectations that all people be treated with respect and dignity, and without the influence of bias; 2) adoption of a non-bias policing policy; 3) installation of video cameras in state police cars and requiring their use for all traffic stops; 4) appointment of a standing committee to audit traffic stops that result in searches; 5) operation of an internal affairs process, by statute and policy, that is overseen by an advisory commission whose members are appointed by the governor; and 6) the commencement of an enhanced training program.
Vermont State Police has for years led efforts to convince county and local law enforcement agencies to follow in their footsteps well before the passage of last year’s legislation mandating the adoption of bias-free (or free and impartial) policies and training by all law enforcement agencies.
By the time the VSAC/USCCR issued its briefing on racial profiling in Vermont report in August 2009, the VSP had already made significant progress towards full implementation of the report’s recommendations.
When Col. Baker retired in 2009 the Department Public Safety gave his work to reshape the agency highest priority as evidenced by the selection of Col. Tom L’Esperence as the new director. Through continued professional development Col. L’Esperence has been strengthening the capacity of the VSP command structure to identify bias, how to discuss bias with VSP field staff, and suggested courses of education or corrective action when bias is suspected or confirmed.
Last year, among other efforts to address cultural competency within a more diverse VSP, supervisors received training on how to recognize and address hostile work environments that might emerge over a trooper’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
In addition, VSP has intensified community engagement activities by way of working closely with activists at Migrant Justice and community leaders and professionals associated with Project Vision in Rutland among others. Since 2012 Col. L’Esperence has personally led a team of his senior staff to the annual Vermont Vision for a Multicultural Future Conferences. These day and a half conferences have provided state police with unprecedented access to a wide range of ethnic and racial minority community leaders from across the state.
Vermont State Police has for years led efforts to convince county and local law enforcement agencies to follow in their footsteps well before the passage of last year’s legislation mandating the adoption of bias-free (or free and impartial) policies and training by all law enforcement agencies.
For the last decade VSP has not shied away from the issues of racial or other forms of bias and profiling. They admit its presence amongst some uniformed officers and staff has a negative effect on operations as well as perceptions by community members, particularly community members of color. However, we bear witness to the expenditure of hard earned political capital by VSP top leadership to become a more professional and culturally competent agency. Other state agencies and municipal governments should take notice and follow their lead.
Much remains to be done however for the last decade VSP has been working quietly and with intention to address bias and to strengthen cultural competency throughout the organization. And whereas this slow and incremental process short circuits our socialization for instant gratification, we are convinced that the qualitative changes at Vermont State Police will lead to more substantial and sustainable free and impartial policing over the long term.
