With all of the discussions regarding policing now going on in the world-at-large, Town Topics called upon Police Chief Nick Sutter to share his thoughts on such issues as the use of body cameras in the context of more low-tech community policing strategies that are being used to reach out to the municipality’s diverse populations.
After the proven success of in-dash vehicle cameras, which the department has been using for 15 years, the next logical step is to outfit officers with body cameras, said Mr. Sutter. Vehicle cameras can record police arrests and other encounters with suspects; they pick up incidents happening on the street; and anyone who is arrested or traveling inside a police vehicle will be recorded by a camera that switches itself on automatically.
To date, Princeton is one of 10 out of 11 police departments in Mercer County that has in-dash cameras (the one exception is Trenton); it is one of three currently discussing the introduction of body cameras.
Vehicle camera have shown their worth in two major ways, said the police chief: they are often presented in court to show police and suspect behavior and they can also be used to examine police behavior if there is a complaint from the public. “If someone is stopped for speeding and alleges bad language or poor demeanor on the part of one of my officers, or if someone alleges that he or she was improperly searched, we can check that out,” said Mr. Sutter. “Overwhelmingly, in Princeton, the officers are cleared. I cannot recall an incident where an officer acted improperly, based on the facts of their behavior. This isn’t to say that the person making the complaint is lying, sometimes they simply perceive the officer’s behavior to have been improper when it isn’t. Body cameras would not only serve the interests of the public, they would benefit police officers too.”
So far, Mr. Sutter has discussed the acquisition of body cameras, which would be clipped to an officer’s chest, with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office, as well as informally with the governing body. “The Princeton Police Department is in favor but digital storage is expensive and although there are federal grants most of the need is from larger cities with major crime problems. Cost is likely to be the determining factor.”
Nevertheless, the police chief has been examining different kinds of cameras and how and when they are used. “It’s high on our wish list,” he said. “This is an issue at the forefront of policing right now and I approached the PBA [Police Benevolent Association] last year to find out how officers feel about this; they are clearly in favor.”
According to the police chief, people in Princeton are comfortable when it comes to questioning the police. “I’ve read a lot about Civilian Review Boards but it’s my belief that if we are truly transparent in our handling of complaints, that will result in people trusting us,” said Mr. Sutter. “It’s also important that we cultivate an atmosphere in which it’s possible to admit mistakes. We are all of us human and we all make mistakes; the important thing is to admit to them and fix them.” Routinely encouraging the acknowledgment of small mistakes and handling them is the way to prevent bigger mistakes from happening, according to the police chief. “I believe it is important for members of the community to see us as individuals.”
To that end, the Princeton Police Department promotes proactive investment in community outreach programs like Coffee with a Cop and local events like the recent Wheels Rodeo where police officers get to know the communities they serve and vice versa. Trust is necessary, said Mr. Sutter, when incidents involving the use of force occur. “And that can happen in Princeton too,” he said. “It is my experience that people bring their own experiences from elsewhere to Princeton. If someone once had a bad experience with a police officers in another state, that translates to Princeton. It’s important to be aware of the tensions that exist in our cities across the country.”
And it is just as important to avoid complacency. “It’s impossible not to be concerned about national events,” said Mr. Sutter. “While we live in a wonderfully accepting place and our police force is just tops, we’re not on an island but part of a larger world so its part of my job to anticipate the future and make sure that we are prepared.”
Princeton’s police continually prepare to proactively avoid situations such as terrorism and the use of force. “By our very nature, police are called upon to respond to problem situations. We want to make sure that what we do does not escalate a situation so that we don’t go towards the use of strong force. And we are not alone in that. We have law enforcement partners at the county and the state level who are a resource for us in an emergency situation, including natural disasters.”
These are the sorts of things that the police address in training, along with sensitivity to diversity. Today’s department mirrors Princeton’s demographics in terms of the breakdown of white, African American, and Latino officers — men and women. That it does so is one of the tenets of its recruitment policy.
Princeton residents represent many different cultures and different sets of beliefs. In some cultures, shaking hands may not be appropriate or may only be appropriate in certain circumstances; in others there may be an order in which it is appropriate to address individuals in a group or family situation. “We need to be sensitive to such things,” said Mr. Sutter. “It can be especially important to understand the nuances of cultural belief when we are called, for instance, to an incident of reported domestic violence. And it is also important to be sensitive to and aware of sexual orientation.” Because such considerations can determine police/public interactions, each member of the department undergoes Cultural Competency Training once a year, including the chief.
One aspect of diversity in Princeton is the use, endorsed by the local department, of Mercer County Community ID Cards, which were introduced some eight years ago following an incident in which an immigrant with no ID on him was found badly beaten and unconscious. “He was in a coma for days and it wasn’t immediately apparent who should be contacted,” said Mr. Sutter. “The card was being used in Trenton and we thought it was a good idea. Everybody who lives in the community is entitled to the exact same treatment and these cards help a segment of our community gain access to life-sustaining services. We honor them as a valid form of ID.”