We Get Letters: Open Letter to Pasadena’s City Manager, From School Board Member Scott Phelps

Dear Cynthia,

You don’t get it.  Neutralizing any possible threat first is a tactic that has its origins in the military training that police receive.  Even if there isn’t a threat, the police are trained to assume there is a possible threat and act accordingly. That’s the problem.  The way police have been trained is the problem.  The standard police response is indeed militaristic, Cynthia.  We are all so, so lucky that this employee was trained by his parents to always comply.  His reaction to the way overboard PPD response prevented another tragedy like we have seen so many times nationally when police first assume everything is a threat first and then just react on high adrenalin, with often lethal results.  

Handcuffing may be standard procedure, but the police can be assured he is not a threat without handcuffing him.  He was already very compliant, doing exactly what the officers asked, before he was handcuffed.  The police could have said hey, I need to pat you down to ensure my own safety, is that okay?  

What we are all asking for is training in de-escalation, not standard procedure.  When is that training coming?  De-escalation, not standard procedure.  Training that takes the police out of their high adrenalin shoot first ask questions later reactive state, and gets them to think calmly and critically.  Hey maybe the principal or other school district official or the PUSD security patrol that the PPD knows patrols our schools could be called before cutting the chain to the gate?  After all, it’s a possible property crime, not a threat to life that they are following up right?  What’s the rush to cut the chain?  Or how about instead using a police PA system to call into the school and ask anyone to come out?  Then after they cut the chain, they see him walking out of the door, not hiding!  And he had a PUSD uniform on!  And keys!  How about being able to notice that and not handcuff him?  In order for police to be able to notice that, and not be so totally amped on adrenalin about threat reduction, they will need retraining on how to de-escalate situations.  So far, around the country, the police have refused to admit this is necessary, and society has refused to insist that they be retrained, so we will have lots more tragedies, and trauma to the human spirit like this one, over a possible property crime, because of standard procedure.  

This is a person, a human being Cynthia, with kids and family who love him.  The staff and parents and students love him.  The police tactics and you with your defense of them have made him just a possible threat to the police, and treated him like a dangerous suspect in a crime.  That’s just wrong.   

Sincerely,

Scott Phelps

Scott Phelps is a member of the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education

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