It seems every passing day brings another story about police officers, the communities they're supposed to protect, and their relationships with civilians--some good stories, mostly bad ones. (You've probably noticed that North Little Rock's Tommy Norman, the cop with a heart who's now semi-famous, isn't the typical story in the news columns these days.)
While most Americans are trying to figure out a way to mend fences, help police do their jobs better and safer, teach our young people respect for the law, and at the same time try to make sure the police are held accountable when they do something wrong--and how about that for a challenge?--at least one city director in Little Rock seems to be doing all she can to make police even more uncomfortable.
Erma Hendrix said the recent killings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota have prompted her to back yet another proposal to require police officers to live within the city limits of Little Rock.
It's a bad idea, and Erma Hendrix won't let go of it. (She's proposed it before.) The city's police union is against such a residency rule, but what, Erma Hendrix worry? She knows best. What do the cops know?
For great example, take Tommy Hudson, president of the local police union, who doesn't like Director Hendrix' proposal one bit, and shouldn't: "She goes on this rant that she thinks officers are going to have more appreciation for their job living in the area they work. But what she doesn't take into consideration is the amount they are getting paid. For them to live in the houses they live in outside the city, they wouldn't be able to live in those houses inside Little Rock because it's too expensive. And there's also the problems with the school system."
Imagine a cop, making what a cop makes every two weeks, selling his house outside Bryant and trying to buy another near, say, the Big Dam Bridge. Think the prices would be a bit different? Or imagine a cop sending her kids to the schools in Sherwood now, and having to transfer to one of the failing schools in Little Rock. Think she'd have any motivation to change jobs? Or remain a cop and seek employment elsewhere?
In a time when the rest of us are looking for the best candidates to wear the uniform, in a time when that is getting harder to do and more dangerous for the cops, why would the city of Little Rock throw more obstacles in the way?
Answer: The city probably won't. Or we should hope.
The police chief of Little Rock, Kenton Buckner--who, by the way, is black--said it is already hard enough to recruit people to his profession, and adding a residency rule won't help. Because, he says, the job "is a difficult sell when every other day you turn on CNN and there are negative things going on in our profession."
The chief, we should note, knows his stuff. He's proven it again and again. And he knows his people, too. We should think about such polices and rule changes after talking to the pros, instead of the pols just trying to make headlines and win the next election or three.
But maybe the most impressive argument against a residency rule is this list:
New Orleans.
Memphis.
Philly.
Chicago.
All have residency rules for cops. Does Little Rock have any desire to follow their leads?
For the benefit of Erma Hendrix, and maybe only Erma Hendrix, the answer is No.
Editorial on 07/22/2016