High Fiving The 5-0 in Northampton: A Compromise

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By Paul Meekin

The police have always had a presence in my life that went beyond law enforcement. Our teen community center had a police officer on duty to field questions and supervise. Officers gave out free ice cream to kids who wore bike helmets. They demonstrated how bad ass their K-9 dog was, protective suit and all. They even introduced me to Scruff McGruff.

Heck, when lighting off illegal fireworks one July 4th in my backyard, an officer sauntered onto our property and simply told us to wait until after 8pm.

Fair enough, Officer.

My positive experiences are very likely because I’m white and in a suburban neighborhood. If I were black, lived in the inner city, and lit those very same fireworks, those cops might mistake them for gun shots, and in order to protect themselves, approached the situation more aggressively, resulting in a drastic change in my opinion.

For every good story I have, there are two or three with stories of abused power and due process violations. For those that agree something should be done, one of the best things police officers could do, and citizens can do, is to engage with each other outside of a strictly law enforcement capacity – it’ll humanize them both.

Thus, it was with regret I learned my home state of Massachusetts ended a program focused on Police Officers giving high fives to kids before school and interacting with them in a way that, you would think, engenders understanding and community. The Northampton Police Department’s Response is eloquent and diplomatic, as we hope all police should (and could) be.

RELATED: Police Stop Giving High Fives To Kids Because It Makes Undocumented Immigrants Uncomfortable

People of color and undocumented children (well, their parents) expressed concern about the idea of such a strong police presence at a school. I see that. Even if they’re just there to give high fives and chat and be amiable, they still have a gun. They could kill you. They could arrest you. They could have previously arrested their brother, mother, sister, best friend, or uncle – they could come to your house and deport you one day.

For all the gags about safe spaces, schools should be as safe a space as possible, and if police officers on campus make folks feel unsafe, that’s a legitimate concern and not one to be mocked. The last thing you need the day of a big test is to worry about seeing the police officer who broke down the front door of your cousin’s apartment three weeks ago.

If you’re hyper-aware of issues between white officers and black folks, it’s understandable why this program could sit poorly with you. Especially considering if these stats are true, there are zero black police officers in Northampton, and 1 Latino. 

And the burden is on the Police to make that right. People can’t help how they feel, and they react to what they see and hear, and right now what’s being seen and said isn’t great for intercultural officer relations. And this program was a small step toward trying to make it right. And it still can. It’s only a temporary halt.

I reached out to Black Lives Matter via e-mail and The Northampton Police Department. I asked Black Lives Matter their opinion on this issue, and what, if anything they’d suggest as a compromise or different program Northampton could run. I asked The Northampton Police Department if the officers were armed during these sessions (from twitter it appears they were).

So far I have not received a response from either.

What is encouraging is that this has been shockingly civil. Everyone, from the Mayor to State Senators, to the Police Chief to the Superintendent, have all said and done the right things.

That said, I have my own thoughts. Libertarians and those that lean that way preach a message of personal responsibility. It sounds nice on paper but in reality it’s hard. It’s easier to be told which insurance to have and what beliefs to hold dear, have your retirement provided by social security, and live your life believing in freedom but acquiescing to the shoulds and musts put upon you by government, social institutions, and friends and family.

It is in this belief that Northampton’s citizenry and enforcement community can find common ground. My suggestion is this: have another meeting, Northampton, suggest the high five policy continues, but un-arm your police officers. Keep them in uniform, but remove their firearm, as a symbolic offering – as if to say these officers are on campus not as enforcement officials, not as the fuzz, not as the 5-0, but as people with a professional responsibility to the community to keep it safe – and more importantly, to have that community feel safe with them on the job.

Also bring donuts.

This program may not change minds, it may not even keep kids from engaging in crime, but at the least, on some small scale, on both sides, it will appear people are trying, because they are.

That’s worth a high five if you ask me.

EDITOR’s NOTE: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, they are not representative of The Libertarian Republic or its sponsors.

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