Positive Policing

By Matthew W. Rebuck, M.P.A., and E. Paul Bertrand, M.S.Ed.

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Today’s headlines call for better relationships between law enforcement agencies and their respective communities. For decades, police strategies have vacillated wildly, all with the stated goal of meeting the needs of the people they serve. Have they instead met the needs of external political forces?

In the wake of recent high-profile events, our nation cries out for a solution that draws police together with their communities. We need a solution that maintains public safety, rebuilds public trust, and allows acknowledgement and healing for the marginalized members of society

New Approach

Definition

According to the University of Pennsylvania, “Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.”1

Positive Psychology was founded by Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman as he pursued research on happiness and, ultimately, well-being. He studied the psychological makeup of humans and identified five major pillars of well-being that allow people to thrive, identified by the acronym PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment).

1. Positive emotion covers the emotions we feel regarding past events, such as gratitude and forgiveness; our present, such as love, interest, and pride; and our future, such as hope and inspiration. We feel all these emotions and many others, including joy, serenity, awe, and amusement, when things go well and we have reason to expect a bright future.

2. Engagement, or flow, results when someone fully deploys their skills, strengths, and attention to an appropriately challenging task. It is a state of being totally consumed in what we do, to the point where we lose track of time.

3. Relationships are the positive human connections that give our life fulfillment.

4. Meaning encompasses our purpose in life and sense of belonging; it is characterized by being part of and serving something greater than ourselves.

5. Accomplishment involves our pursuit of achievement, competence, success, and mastery. We must strive for it over time with both skill and effort.2