Monday morning armchair quarterbacks was once a term used only to describe those who offered advice after the fact on a football play, giving one the allusion that had they been in the huddle the outcomes would have been different. This is also where the snarky reply “shoulda, woulda, coulda” was probably birthed a few second later by Captain Obvious.
When this phrase crossed over into other areas of media (and shortly after the debut of Web 2.0), the discussions via these public comment forums often resulted in a mind-numbing back and forth, accomplishing little but bruised egos and sore feelings.
What was at the time a good idea has become something most often evident by the silent eye roll — a clear signal that any constructive conversation was not happening.
In Grand Rapids we have a relatively new police chief who has demonstrated over the course of the last year a willingness to get involved with the public, and in ways former chiefs may have eschewed.
While Rapid Growth has covered a host of topics related to modern policing and its policies, from editorials to speaker series to community gatherings, we still believe in the power of people coming together to share opinions in a civil manner is the best method to allow understanding and empathy to blossom within all in attendance.
So, the GRPD has organized a series of community meetings where you can gather with your local police leadership to learn more about their mission and then listen to you the citizen about the priorities of your neighborhood. These meetings are constructed as a way for us to break down miscommunication and to ensure that the needs of the community are better aligned with the citizens they serve.
At each discussion-driven session the GRPD will explain the tools and tactics employed to keep the peace in our city.
The first Service Area Meeting was held at Rockford Construction Company on Tuesday, January 19. The following three are scheduled for:
South: January 21, 2016, 6:00 p.m., LINC, 1167 Madison Avenue, SE
North: January 27, 2016, 7:00 p.m., GRPS University, 1400 Fuller Avenue, NE
East: January 28, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Seymour Christian Church, 840 Alger Street, SE
“It’s unique in law enforcement to undergo such a public review, but we want to make sure that our department’s mission statement aligns with the community we serve,” says GRPD Chief David Rahinsky. “We want our department to be as responsive, transparent and service-oriented as possible. We value the engagement and input of all of our stakeholders to craft and refine a mission that ultimately meets that goal.”
Only when we pause to listen can we hope to begin to understand “the other” in our society. Sometimes to be the change….we must listen, then lend our voice to produce the solution that make us worthy to be called Grand.
Admission: Free
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