by DSA President David Leonhardi
A DSA-authored op-ed article was published online last month advocating for law enforcement’s perspective in the current social and political climates. This article was the first in a series of op-ed submissions the DSA has in the works, which are all being written with the goal of shifting the focus to the good work San Diego County deputy sheriffs are doing, despite what may be going on in other places across the country. We believe the article sends a strong message to our community:
“If you are hungry for change, remember that our deputies are getting up in the morning and putting their lives at risk to protect and serve our communities. Remember that they represent one of the leading examples of law enforcement in the nation. But, most importantly, remember that the narrative you share, the bias you breathe life into, without considering the perspective of law enforcement officers, is contributing to a dangerous landscape for law enforcement that will unfortunately have a ripple effect on the communities of San Diego County.”
Commentary: We, the more than 2,500 San Diego Sheriff’s deputies, have had enough
The entire article can be found on the DSA website. Additional op-ed topics the DSA has in the works include arguing against the defunding of police and addressing issues related to recruitment and retention.
Additionally, I have received feedback from members lately that feel the DSA is not being vocal enough in this time of crisis. First, I genuinely appreciate members taking the time to reach out and voice their concerns. But I feel the need to address some of the work the DSA has been doing behind the scenes over the last month (and really throughout the year) that isn’t talked about and the reasons for that.
To help illustrate this, I’ll use an analogy: have you ever been in a situation where you’re in a crowded room, and you see that someone’s fly is down, and they are completely unaware? What’s the right thing to do in that situation?
Do you shout out over the crowd, “Hey, your fly is down!”, or do you pull that person aside and whisper your message? Both tactics send the message to the intended recipient but can cause drastically different reactions. The shouting method is likely to embarrass the person, hurt their ego, cause them to be defensive, and possibly even respond in frustration. The whisper method sends the same message but doesn’t embarrass the individual. By whispering the message, hopefully, the recipient respects the way it was handled and even feels entitled to reciprocate in the future.
I believe the whisper tactic is much more professional and effective. I also believe it’s one of the things that sets us apart from other organizations in the way we do business. But the problem with that tactic is that deputies can’t see or hear such advocacy, which might lead them to believe the DSA isn’t doing anything on their behalf and isn’t speaking up for them. Nothing is farther from the truth.
In the last few weeks, I’ve approached several of our community leaders and had discussions about the struggles our deputies are facing. I’ve had discussions with the Sheriff and command staff members, county supervisors, state senators, assembly members, contract city mayors and councilmembers, and other law enforcement organization leaders. I’ve talked about use of force reform, civil unrest, deputy morale, defunding police, abolishing police unions, and disheartening emails from the highest levels of county government. I’ve had these discussions in an attempt to be as effective as possible during an onslaught of negative messaging and sentiment towards law enforcement.
As we’ve already seen, changes are being demanded, and some are unavoidable. But I believe there are ways to be effective in this environment. As the saying goes, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” I know everyone doesn’t like to surf, but it’s a lot better than drowning.
Over the coming weeks, the DSA will be releasing educational videos to showcase the training our deputies receive, highlight the issues created by state legislation that our deputies have been forced to maneuver, and underscore the dedication, professionalism, and valor of our members by way of testimonials. We also plan to follow up with more public articles regarding defunding the police and the facts and data surrounding the situation.
These are just a few of the public ways we intend to be the voice for our members. Meanwhile, the behind-the-scenes work also continues.