Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
The Best Way to Fix a Troubled Police Department? Put a Civilian in Charge.
Police commissioners who don't wear the uniform have the power and authority to institutionalize reforms.
Authors
Samuel Johnson Jr. is the senior managing director for Mangfold Group LLC, a management and security consulting firm. He is a former Baltimore police officer and Maryland Courts judicial officer. He has held executive-level management positions with the Baltimore Fire Department, the Baltimore Mayor's Office of Emergency Management and Baltimore Housing.
In 2016, Johnson was recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal as one of Maryland's top 40 business professionals under the age of 40. He holds a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
How Fire Departments Could Look Like the Communities They Serve
Cities have struggled with diversity in the fire service for decades. But there's a lot they could be doing to improve things.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
The Agony of the First Responder
What happened in Orlando was horrific, but public-safety personnel experience traumatic events every day. We need to find ways to help them cope.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
The Fires That Threaten an Aging America
Older people are more vulnerable, but there's a lot that fire departments could be doing to keep them safer.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Civilian Oversight’s Important Role in Police Reform
It should be about changing dysfunctional law-enforcement cultures, not just busting rogue cops.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
When Police Are Guardians, Not Warriors
Cops need to be more than law enforcers. They need to be equipped to deal with the social problems of the communities they serve.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Shouldn’t We Have Community Policing Czars?
We need to institutionalize improvements in the ways police interact with their communities.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Violent Confrontations and the Psychology of a Cop
Every officer knows that things can quickly turn lethally dangerous. How can these situations be prevented?
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Managing the Emerging Public-Safety Workforce
We need to re-think the military-style model and find ways to make law-enforcement agencies reflect the communities they serve.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Why Police Should Practice ‘Broken Windows’ on Themselves
It's a matter not only of discipline but of a culture of collective morality.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Law Enforcement, Communities and the Need for Mutual Respect
Much can be done on both sides to prevent the kind of tragedies that have ignited protests across the nation.
Voices of the GOVERNING Institute
Public Safety and the Need for a Culture of Leadership Consciousness
Police, firefighters and other emergency responders occupy a special position of trust in their communities. They need to always be aware of the impact of their behavior.