IDEA WATCH : Arresting Behavior

Police Chief Daryl Gates, with the help of City Council member Joan Milke Flores, has discovered a novel approach to calm police-community relations tensions: train citizens on the proper way to be arrested.

This odd suggestion came up during a City Council hearing that was called to give the chief the opportunity to suggest ways to improve department training practices and curb alleged police brutality.

Behind the hearing, obviously, was continuing public concern over the Rodney King beating. Council member Joy Picus told Gates that the council was going “to put your feet to the fire” on reform of police policies.

Instead, the hearing turned into a something akin to a coffee klatch, with the focus of the hearing at one point turning from what police should do to regain the trust of the public to what citizens can do to improve relations with the police.

Maybe there’s a need for citizens, Flores said, to see a video program on “how to be arrested.”

“No question,” the chief concurred. “There is a need for teaching people not so much how to prevent crime, but how police-citizen contacts can be made less frightening.”

Surely this was not meant to suggest that it’s incumbent on the public--not professionally trained police officers--to know how to handle touchy situations.

We’re all for better communication. As long as no one forgets that in a free country it isn’t supposed to be necessary for people to prepare themselves for how to behave while getting arrested.