April 22, 2021 – On Tuesday April 20, the country prepared for the ramifications of the verdict on George Floyd’s murder trial. If we’re being completely honest, the country – and the African American community in particular – had serious doubts that despite overwhelming evidence from the prosecutor, the jury would find a guilty verdict.
In the hour before the announcement, people and images dominated my mind – Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Rayshard Brooks and, most recently, Daunte Wright.
With the deaths of these black Americans and many other than historical context, I assumed a stoic attitude and held my breath as the judgment was read. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted of accidental second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter.
When Chauvin was taken into custody and handcuffed away, it was clear that there were no “winners” here. Mr. Floyd is still dead and the violent encounters among black Americans continue disproportionately. The result is far from real justice, but what we have as a country is a moment of accountability – and perhaps an opportunity to begin real system-level reform.
The final report of the President’s Task Force on Policing of the 21st Century, released in May 2015 under President Barack Obama, recommended major policy changes at the federal level and developed key pillars to promote effective crime reduction while building public confidence. Based on this report, four key lessons are relevant to any discussion of police reform.
All are critically important, but two are particularly relevant after the judgment. One of the main recommendations was to “adopt a guardian rather than a warrior mindset” in order to build trust and legitimacy. On the other hand, it was ensured that “POST committees (Peace Officer and Standards Training) contain mandatory crisis intervention training”.
As health professionals, we know that the ultimate effectiveness of any intervention depends on the level of mutual trust and collaboration.
As an advisory liaison psychiatrist, I am trained to recognize that often when asked to counsel on the case, I often fail to make a medical diagnosis or intervene. I help the team and the patient to rebuild trust in each other.
Communication skills and techniques will help start a dialogue, but without trust, you will ultimately miss mutual understanding. The underpinning of trust could begin with a commitment to procedural justice.
Procedural justice, as described in The Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School, “addresses the idea of fair trials and how the perception of fairness is greatly influenced by the quality of their experience.” There are four key principles of procedural justice:
- Whether they were treated with dignity and respect
- Whether they were given a voice
- Whether the decision maker was neutral and transparent
- Whether the decision maker conveyed trustworthy motives
These principles have been studied and have shown that they build confidence in the police and provide the basis for establishing a standard set of common interests and values.
As health professionals, there are many aspects of procedural justice that we can and should consider, especially if we anticipate the use of restraint systems in medical facilities.
In addition to the recommendations of the federal government and independent institutions, health policy organizations at the national level have made clear statements on police brutality and system reforms.
In 2018, the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement on police brutality and black men. This was followed in 2020 by a joint statement by the National Medical Association and the APA condemning systemic racism and police violence against black Americans.
Other public health associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Association of Medical Colleges, have also condemned systemic racism and police brutality.
After Chauvin’s judgment, we saw something new and different. There were common similarities in our partisan country. Statements were issued recognizing the importance of this historic moment from police unions, both political parties and various grassroots invested organizations.
Although extremely difficult, the Derek Chauvin trial was also a powerful expression of our collective demand for racial justice. This is to be expected: Meaningful social change is rarely easy or quick.
– Devinder Malhotra (@MinnStateChD) April 20, 2021
In short, we may have real consensus and motivation to take the next tough steps in police reform for this country. There will be political discussions and new training mandates, and there will certainly be attempts to ban the use of deadly restrictions and techniques like chokeholds. While these are helpful, they will ultimately be neglected if we do not hold ourselves accountable for real cultural change.
The challenge of implementing procedural justice should not only be a law enforcement challenge and should not fall on the shoulders of communities with high crime areas. In other words, no single racial group should have it. Ultimately, procedural justice must be accepted by all of us.
The road is long and the change is slow, but I am optimistic.
When I saw the verdict, my oldest daughter looked with me and asked, “What do you think Dad?” I replied, “It’s accountability and an opportunity.” She nodded resolutely. Then she grabbed her smartphone, jumped on social media and announced in her very knowledgeable teenage voice, “See dad, one voice is cool, but many voices in unison are better; time to get to work!”
I salute you to Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who videotaped the murder of George Floyd, and to all of your generation who dare to hold us accountable. Thank you for forcing us to look even when it was painful and not to ignore the humanity of our fellow human beings.
Indeed, it is time to get to work.
Dr. Norris is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Administration at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
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