We met this rainy February at the Central Branch of LAPL to consider policing and justice in LA. We’re grateful to our library hosts as well as Police Commission Executive Director Richard Tefank for speaking with us. LASA students reflected on the time together:
Owen: In an age of increased attention on the role of law enforcement in urban communities, it is important to hear the perspectives of those involved. Saturday’s meeting captured that very well: I began the day at the library by finding a book written from the perspective of civilians, in particular those upset with the role of the police in their communities (specifically the 20th century Chicano universe). After sharing and hearing from other groups (whose books provided their own perspectives), we sat down to hear from Richard Tefank, a career law enforcement agent who now works as the Executive Director of the LA Police Commission. Regardless of how one might fall in regards to the policing questions, hearing a diversity of perspectives in the way we did is crucial to a well-informed understanding.
Zoe: Despite the rainy weather and last minute cancellations, this Saturday at LASA exceeded expectations yet again. One of the most striking topics was, in my opinion, the controversy surrounding “defunding” the police. On the one hand, the fact that a social justice movement, fueled by ardent protests and echoed nationally, could enact real change on the LAPD serves as a reassuring reminder that democracy works. People’s voices were heard, and the LAPD ultimately lost a portion of their funding. As a junior coming of age during a time when the legitimacy of our national democracy seems to be in question, seeing how local voices can really make a difference was to a certain extent empowering. However, hearing about the consequences of shrinking the LAPD funds clearly demonstrated the nuance of social justice reforms…This LASA really made me reflect on not just the importance of social justice advocation, but also of the weight of civic responsibility, as our actions could have legitimately damaging consequences.
Beyoncé: After listening to the Police Commission Executive Director, Richard Tefank, my previous perceptions around policing shifted. I learned that policing is more complicated than the public realizes and involves a lot of tricky decision-making. Because of recent events involving police brutality, many people, including I, have lost their trust in officers, and I’m glad that LAPD is aware of that. With changes in the department, I have hopes in seeing the dynamics between the public and the police
evolve. So, as the US begins to address those problems, I look forward to the development in policing.
Brendan: Although not the central focus of our trip, visiting the Los Angeles Central Library for a second time really reinforced my appreciation of libraries as pillars of public knowledge. After carefully critiquing the Los Angeles Police Department Commemorative Book 1869-1984 (a high-school-yearbook-esque propaganda piece), my groupmates and I wandered through the philosophy and physics sections, rifling through books on astrophysics, Aristotelian logic, and online dating advice. More to the point, however, listening to Executive Director Richard Tefank declaim his opinions on everything from homelessness to female officers to the Defund the Police Movement challenged me unexpectedly…I’ve never considered a career in law enforcement, but given that police officers are one of the few professionals in our society empowered to use deadly force, understanding their strengths, perspectives, and shortcomings is
undoubtedly essential to crafting effective public policy.