Around the city with Richard Penn

The Pittsburg Police Department is comprised of a group of men and women who want to provide professional service to the community we serve. Your officers are placed in situations that can sometimes be debated by the legal system for years, yet that officer has to make split second decisions. As an administrator, it is my goal to give these officers all of the tools necessary to make those decisions to the best of their ability. One thing that always needs to be kept in mind is that your officers are human. As humans, we do the best we can but it isn’t always a perfect decision. As humans, our behaviors are shaped by many influences. I am proud to serve alongside these officers. I hold them to a high standard. I believe our citizens hold us to a high standard. I enjoy reading and early in my career, read a story about William Parker, a former police chief in Los Angeles. When Parker took office, he rigorously investigated and led charges against several o cers in that department that lead to convictions of those officers. Parker held a press conference afterwards and was asked would this put an end to all wrongdoing at LAPD. He responded that no, it wouldn’t. He then faced a flurry of questions about his answer. His response was that he has to hire from the human race. The law enforcement profession is comprised of the human race. Yes, there are people who do not need to be police officers. If you look at statistics, less than one half of 1 percent are considered to be corrupt. I have heard it said that is a lower percentage than seen in the clergy.

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