VCC Magazine Summer 2020

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S ummer 2020 13 For a uniquely Richmond experience, stay at Richmond’s oldest and newest boutique hotel. From the tatooed entrance doors on our suites, to the art and furnishings from local artisans, to the finest RVA craft beers and Black Hand Coffee Company products, The Commonwealth is like none other. Our luxurious suites are equally comfortable for an overnight romantic getaway or a long- term assignment. Located in the heart of downtown, directly across from the Virginia State Capitol. Welcome Home Located steps from the General Assembly, Virginia State Capitol, and federal courts buildings, we’ve been the Richmond hom for legislators and lobbyists f r over a ce tury. With 59 guest suites and 3,000 square f et of flexible event space, we are large en ugh to host your meeting or reception, yet small enough to offer the personal attention you deserve. “I’ve Got Your Back” By Senator Dave W. Marsden Editor’s Note: We thank the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where this story first appeared. The catch phrase, “I’ve got your back” has become ubiquitous in American culture… and mostly it connotes good things. On the battlefield, it means I’m not going to leave you behind; I’m not going to leave you behind; I’m going to lay down covering fire to protect you and expose myself to danger to get you out of a precarious position. Unfortunately, “I’ve got your back” can also be interpreted to mean “I’m not going to say anything about violations of military law or your unethical conduct surrounding the treatment of non-combatants. Much the same can be said for our police departments and the men and women who serve in them. They are there to protect the public but also to protect and back each other up. Unfortunately, it can also mean ‘I’m going to go along with the prevailing attitude in my precinct because I don’t want to be seen as not being a team-player. This can go on in any group setting or work environment. Differing from group norms can expose one to being ostracized, isolated, or even shunned for trying to support written organization policy, procedures, or written mission and values statements. “I’ve got your back” is a prevailing attitude that needs to be redefined based on what we have experienced in the revelations currently before the American people regarding police conduct. “I’ve got your back” has got to migrate to: “I am going to have your back by not allowing you to violate legal, procedural, ethical, or moral obligations. In that way I will not only have your back, but I will have the backs of those who we are sworn to protect and serve.” We can improve the quality and quantity of our training around bias, diversity, use of force and protection of individual rights, but until we break the common practice of covering for friends and co-workers, it is going to be difficult to make the changes that Americans are currently demanding. When I was Acting Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (2001-2002), I would address each Juvenile correctional officer training class upon their graduation every six to eight weeks. My message was always the same: “You’ve just been trained by the best staff members we have and understand the framework of what your job will be. When you arrive at your assigned correctional center you will be confronted by very influential co-workers who will advise you ‘that’s not the way we do it here. Forget about what you learned in the academy. This is what we have to do to get the job done here at this facility.’ It is very difficult for workers to resist that peer pressure as it is much easier to go along, get along, and be accepted by everyone as a team player”. I would then advise them that if you go down that road, you may end up in an unfortunate career circumstance. ‘My expectation and advice to you is to find the co-workers at your new facility who are doing the job the way you were taught and follow their lead. You may have fewer friends, but eventually, you will have a more satisfying career on both a personal and professional level.’ Many correctional officers did not take my advice; they fell in with the crowd because it was easier and safer. This is the challenge facing police officers today. As someone who has run a correctional facility and conducted all of the de- escalation, restraint, and crisis management training for twelve years at the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center I can tell you what a difficult choice it is for correctional officers to make. Until we overcome this workplace dilemma, it will be a challenge to reduce misconduct no matter how we try to improve and emphasize enhanced training and more stringent regulations. When I witnessed the events in Minneapolis that caused the death of George Floyd, I immediately determined that the most likely circumstance was that Derrick Chauvin was one of the most experienced and aggressive thought leaders in his precinct and that the other members were newer and not likely to aggressively challenge his decision-making. It is very difficult for even the best training programs to overcome these human frailties. We have to create a new paradigm of group interaction in our police departments wherein “I’ve got your back” means ‘I’m going to keep you from doing anything wrong.’ Senator Dave Marsden is a Democrat, representing part of Fairfax County. Cast in bronze and peering at six stories, the Lee statue could be here to stay; however, no longer as a glorification of Robert E. Lee and the failed Confederacy, but as a square for public speech, art, and a path to healing a deeply divided and hurting nation. McClain Moran is a rising third year student at the University of Virginia, majoring in Leadership and Public Policy within the Batten School and pursuing a minor in Economics. As a student in the Batten School, she is passionate about the public policy process and bridging the gaps between those who formulate policy and those who are affected by it, in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. This summer, Moran is interning for VCCQM. Continued from previous page V V