Trenton police are reaching out to its residents, welcoming them to join the department. The move is a smart one, and could be a model for other New Jersey cities.
Police in Halifax, Va., spent part of a summer weekend pulling over unsuspecting motorists, ostensibly to cite them for minor infractions.
"Are you familiar with vehicle code 1.7.3.9?" the officers demanded of the nervous and bewildered driver before explaining with mock severity: "It's actually against the law to drive on a hot day without an ice cream cone."
With that, the law-enforcement official handed over the treat to a visibly relieved - and quite tickled - motorist.
In footage captured by ABC News, the law-enforcement official then hands over the treat to the motorist, who laughs - presumably in relief. A video posted on Facebook garnered tens-of-thousands of likes within hours.
At a time when the threat of violent confrontation between the races simmers just beneath the surface of many of our cities, it was an insensitive and clumsy way to capture the hearts and minds of citizens.
The attempt probably was well-meaning, but we think the Trenton police are doing it better - recruiting future members from within the community itself, people who are ready to give back to the village that helped raise them.
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Last month, the department gathered about 70 residents to talk about the rewards of police work, followed by one-on-one sessions between cops and the population they serve.
Trenton Police Director Ernest Parrey, Jr. says he's making a particular appeal to city residents with lifelong roots in the state's capital city.
"What better candidates than to have people born and raised here? They know the people, they know the area," the city's top cop said before the recruitment meeting.
The department is taking its cue from its counterpart in Dallas, where Police Chief David Brown told participants at a Black Lives Matter demonstration that "We're hiring," and challenged them to "get off that protest line and put an application in. We'll put you in your neighborhood and help you resolve some of those problems."
Applications for the Dallas force tripled after Brown's appeal.
Law enforcement agencies can benefit immensely from home-grown talent, members who know the streets and byways of their local communities and are familiar with the chief players.
Trenton police seek residents to join force
These new additions to the force are far more likely than outsiders to be attuned to the rhythms of the street, more apt to gain the trust of the denizens of those streets.
We've seen, during this hot and cruel summer, how dangerous police work can be. We've seen as well how susceptible to lethal violence minority youths can be at the hands of a few rotten apples.
Parrey is so right when he says anyone can gripe about his city and post rants on Facebook, but that those same individuals can make a real difference by working for change from within.