TEDxMidAtlantic
Melvin Russell: I love being a police officer, but we need reform
Filmed:
Readability: 3.4
1,121,144 views
We've invested so much in police departments as protectors that we have forgotten what it means to serve our communities, says Baltimore Police officer Lt. Colonel Melvin Russell. It's led to coldness and callousness, and it's dehumanized the police force. After taking over as district commander in one of Baltimore's toughest neighborhoods, Russell instituted a series of reforms aimed at winning back the trust of the community and lowering the violent crime rate. "Law enforcement is in a crisis," he says. "But it's not too late for all of us to build our cities and nation to make it great again."
Melvin Russell - Chief of the Community Partnership Division, Baltimore Police Department
Melvin Russell is bringing stakeholders together to work toward the common goal of peace and prosperity for Baltimore City. Full bio
Melvin Russell is bringing stakeholders together to work toward the common goal of peace and prosperity for Baltimore City. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I have been a police officer
for a very, very long time.
for a very, very long time.
0
817
2651
00:15
And you see these notes in my hand
because I'm also a black preacher.
because I'm also a black preacher.
1
3492
5198
00:21
(Laughter)
2
9305
1683
00:23
And if you know anything
about black preachers,
about black preachers,
3
11012
2215
00:25
we'll close, and then we'll keep
going for another 20 minutes.
going for another 20 minutes.
4
13251
3212
00:28
(Laughter)
5
16487
1037
00:29
So I need this to keep
pushing this thing forward.
pushing this thing forward.
6
17548
2393
00:31
I've been a police officer
for a very long time,
for a very long time,
7
19965
2249
00:34
and I mean I predated technology.
8
22238
1580
00:35
I'm talking about before pagers.
9
23842
1596
00:37
(Laughter)
10
25462
1233
00:38
Laugh if you want to,
but I'm telling the truth.
but I'm telling the truth.
11
26719
2261
00:41
I predate War on Our Fellow Man --
I mean, War on Drugs.
I mean, War on Drugs.
12
29004
4702
00:45
I predate all of that.
13
33730
1483
00:47
I predate so much
14
35855
1154
00:49
and I've been through ebbs and flows
15
37033
1783
00:50
and I've been through good and bad times,
16
38840
2367
00:53
and still I absolutely love
being a police officer.
being a police officer.
17
41231
4158
00:58
I love being a police officer
because it's always been a calling for me
because it's always been a calling for me
18
46207
3751
01:01
and never a job.
19
49982
1380
01:04
And even with that,
20
52219
1365
01:06
my personal truth is that
law enforcement is in a crisis.
law enforcement is in a crisis.
21
54538
4276
01:11
It's an invisible crisis,
22
59616
1514
01:13
and it has been for many, many years.
23
61154
2626
01:16
Even though we in law enforcement say,
24
64787
1869
01:18
"You know what?
We can't arrest our way out of this."
We can't arrest our way out of this."
25
66680
3602
01:23
We say in law enforcement things like,
26
71258
1811
01:25
"Yeah, it's illegal to profile."
27
73093
2516
01:28
You know what?
28
76008
1158
01:29
In law enforcement, we even agree
that we have to adopt this thinking
that we have to adopt this thinking
29
77190
3358
01:32
and become more oriented
to community policing.
to community policing.
30
80572
2205
01:34
And yet all the while, still,
31
82801
2910
01:37
we continue in the same vein,
32
85735
2197
01:39
the same vein that contradicts
everything that we just admitted.
everything that we just admitted.
33
87956
3960
01:45
And so that's the reason for me,
several years ago.
several years ago.
34
93131
2703
01:48
Because I was tired of the racism,
I was tired of discrimination,
I was tired of discrimination,
35
96313
3095
01:51
I was tired of the "-isms"
and the schisms.
and the schisms.
36
99432
2593
01:54
I was just so tired.
37
102049
1380
01:55
I was tired of the vicious cycle,
38
103904
2153
01:58
and I was tired of it even
in the beloved agency
in the beloved agency
39
106081
3229
02:01
in the department that I still love today.
40
109334
2913
02:04
And so my wife and I, we sat down
41
112771
2129
02:06
and we decided and we targeted
a date that we would retire.
a date that we would retire.
42
114924
2817
02:10
We would retire and I would
go off into the sunset,
go off into the sunset,
43
118130
2604
02:12
maybe do ministry full time,
love my wife a long time.
love my wife a long time.
44
120758
2833
02:15
Y'all know what I'm talking about.
45
123615
1641
02:17
(Laughter)
46
125280
1405
02:18
But we decided that I would retire.
47
126709
1723
02:20
But then there was a higher power than I.
48
128456
3179
02:24
There was a love for the city
49
132492
2868
02:27
that I loved, that I grew up in,
that I was educated in --
that I was educated in --
50
135384
3201
02:30
a city that pulled my heart
back into the system.
back into the system.
51
138609
3700
02:34
So we didn't retire.
52
142959
1262
02:36
We didn't retire
53
144916
1394
02:38
and so what happened was,
54
146334
2464
02:40
over the next -- I would say,
18 months, 19 months,
18 months, 19 months,
55
148822
3228
02:45
I had this passion to implement
some radical policing.
some radical policing.
56
153050
3033
02:49
And so now, over the next 19 months,
57
157393
1731
02:51
I shifted, and I transcended
from being a drug sergeant --
from being a drug sergeant --
58
159148
3843
02:56
ready to retire as a drug sergeant --
59
164277
1836
02:58
and went from level to level to level,
60
166865
1834
03:00
until I find myself
as a district commander,
as a district commander,
61
168723
2429
03:03
commander of the worst district
in Baltimore city.
in Baltimore city.
62
171176
2943
03:06
We call it the Eastern District,
63
174453
1701
03:08
the most violent district,
64
176178
1610
03:09
the most impoverished district --
65
177812
1707
03:11
46 percent unemployment in that district.
66
179543
3602
03:16
National rating at that time,
67
184018
2220
03:18
national rating, the AIDS
and the tuberculosis [rating],
and the tuberculosis [rating],
68
186262
2972
03:21
was always on the top 10 list
69
189258
2401
03:23
for zip codes for cities
across the nation,
across the nation,
70
191683
3023
03:26
or just zip codes across the nation.
71
194730
1739
03:28
The top 10 -- I didn't say state,
I didn't say city --
I didn't say city --
72
196493
2618
03:31
that little neighborhood.
73
199135
1340
03:33
And I said, you know what?
We gotta do something different.
We gotta do something different.
74
201911
2803
03:36
We gotta do something different.
We gotta think radical.
We gotta think radical.
75
204738
2660
03:39
We gotta think outside the box.
76
207422
1737
03:41
And so in order to bring change
that I desperately wanted
that I desperately wanted
77
209730
2682
03:44
and I desperately felt in my heart,
78
212436
1707
03:46
I had to start listening
to that inner spirit.
to that inner spirit.
79
214167
2289
03:48
I had to start listening
to that man on the inside
to that man on the inside
80
216480
2433
03:50
that went against everything
that I had been trained to do.
that I had been trained to do.
81
218937
3103
03:54
But we still did it.
82
222772
1394
03:56
We still did it because we listened
to that inner spirit,
to that inner spirit,
83
224190
2697
03:58
because I realized this:
84
226911
1261
04:00
if I was to see real police reform
85
228196
4049
04:04
in the communities that I had
authority over for public safety,
authority over for public safety,
86
232269
3629
04:08
we had to change our stinkin' thinkin'.
87
236690
2283
04:12
We had to change it.
88
240728
1153
04:13
And so what we did
is we started to think holistically
is we started to think holistically
89
241905
2723
04:16
and not paramilitarily.
90
244652
1316
04:18
So we thought differently.
91
246538
1384
04:20
And we started to realize
92
248819
1199
04:22
that it could never be
and never should have been
and never should have been
93
250042
2310
04:24
us versus them.
94
252376
1509
04:26
And so I decided to come
to that intersection
to that intersection
95
254910
2208
04:29
where I could meet all classes,
all races, all creeds, all colors;
all races, all creeds, all colors;
96
257142
3221
04:32
where I would meet the businesses
and the faith-based,
and the faith-based,
97
260387
2541
04:34
and the eds, the meds,
98
262952
1286
04:36
and I would meet all the people
99
264262
1508
04:37
that made up the communities
that I had authority over.
that I had authority over.
100
265794
2829
04:41
So I met them and I began to listen.
101
269205
1960
04:43
See, police have a problem.
102
271189
1452
04:44
Off the top, we want to bring
things into the community
things into the community
103
272665
2595
04:47
and come up with these extravagant
strategies and deployments,
strategies and deployments,
104
275284
2968
04:50
but we never talk
to the community about them.
to the community about them.
105
278276
2175
04:52
And we shove them into the community
and say, "Take that."
and say, "Take that."
106
280475
2828
04:55
But we said we'd get rid
of that stinkin' thinkin',
of that stinkin' thinkin',
107
283806
2397
04:58
so we talked to our communities.
108
286227
1548
04:59
We said, "This is your community table.
109
287799
1868
05:01
We'll pull up a chair.
We want to hear from you.
We want to hear from you.
110
289691
2263
05:03
What's going to work in your community?"
111
291978
1940
05:05
And then some great things
started to happen.
started to happen.
112
293942
2129
05:08
See, here's the thing:
113
296095
1151
05:09
I had to figure out a way to shift
130 cops that were under my tutelage
130 cops that were under my tutelage
114
297270
5720
05:15
from being occupiers of communities
115
303014
2112
05:17
to being partners.
116
305150
1189
05:19
I had to figure out how to do that.
117
307355
1692
05:21
Because here's the crazy thing:
118
309071
1979
05:23
in law enforcement, we have evolved
into something incredible.
into something incredible.
119
311074
3645
05:26
Listen, we have become great protectors.
120
314743
1937
05:28
We know how to protect you.
121
316704
1428
05:30
But we have exercised that arm
so much, so very much.
so much, so very much.
122
318909
4039
05:34
If I was a natural police department
123
322972
3166
05:38
and I represented a police department,
124
326162
1881
05:40
you would see this incredible,
beautiful, 23-inch arm.
beautiful, 23-inch arm.
125
328067
2889
05:42
(Laughter)
126
330980
2603
05:45
It's pretty, ain't it? It's cut up.
127
333607
2079
05:48
No fat on it. Mmm it look good.
It just look good!
It just look good!
128
336641
2927
05:51
(Laughter)
129
339592
2134
05:53
That's a great arm -- protection!
130
341750
1901
05:55
That's who we are, but we've exercised
it so much sometimes
it so much sometimes
131
343675
3103
05:59
that it has led to abuse.
132
347255
1555
06:02
It's led to coldness and callousness
and dehumanized us.
and dehumanized us.
133
350008
3996
06:06
And we've forgotten
134
354941
1152
06:08
the mantra across this nation
135
356117
1413
06:09
is to protect and serve.
136
357554
2070
06:12
Y'all don't know that? Protect and serve.
137
360068
1976
06:14
(Laughter)
138
362068
1001
06:15
So you look at the other arm,
139
363093
1405
06:16
and then you look at it
and ... there it is.
and ... there it is.
140
364522
2135
06:18
(Laughter)
141
366681
1173
06:20
You know, it's kinda weak.
142
368267
1889
06:22
It looks sickly.
143
370926
1237
06:24
It's withering and it's dying
144
372972
1786
06:27
because we've invested so much
in our protective arm.
in our protective arm.
145
375861
2643
06:31
But we forgot to treat our communities
146
379302
2857
06:34
like they're our customers;
147
382183
1383
06:36
like they're our sons and daughters,
our brothers and sisters,
our brothers and sisters,
148
384026
2965
06:39
our mothers and fathers.
149
387015
1190
06:40
And so somehow, along the way,
150
388600
2249
06:42
we've gotten out of balance.
151
390873
1431
06:44
And because we are a proud profession,
152
392958
2108
06:47
it is very hard for us to look
in the mirror and see our mistakes.
in the mirror and see our mistakes.
153
395952
3141
06:51
It's even harder to make a change.
154
399117
1721
06:53
And so, as I try to hurry
and get through this,
and get through this,
155
401775
2873
06:57
I need to say this:
156
405204
1161
06:58
it's not just law enforcement, though.
157
406389
1942
07:00
Because every one of us
makes up a community.
makes up a community.
158
408818
2331
07:03
Everybody makes up a community.
159
411674
1685
07:05
And as communities -- can I say this? --
160
413678
1928
07:07
we have put too much responsibility
on law enforcement.
on law enforcement.
161
415630
3372
07:12
Too much.
162
420261
1158
07:13
(Applause)
163
421443
4243
07:18
And then we have the audacity
and the nerve to get upset
and the nerve to get upset
164
426706
2647
07:21
with law enforcement
when we take action.
when we take action.
165
429377
2103
07:24
There is no way in the world
166
432265
1414
07:26
that we, as a community,
should be calling the police
should be calling the police
167
434615
3543
07:30
for kids playing ball in the street.
168
438182
1889
07:34
No way in the world that we
should be calling the police
should be calling the police
169
442071
2736
07:36
because my neighbor's
music is up too loud,
music is up too loud,
170
444831
2086
07:38
because his dog came over
to my yard and did a number two;
to my yard and did a number two;
171
446941
2754
07:41
there's no way we should
be calling the police.
be calling the police.
172
449719
2521
07:44
But we have surrendered
so much of our responsibility.
so much of our responsibility.
173
452264
2642
07:46
Listen, when I was a little boy
coming up in Baltimore --
coming up in Baltimore --
174
454930
3134
07:50
and listen, we played
rough in the street --
rough in the street --
175
458088
2137
07:52
I ain't never see the police
come and break us up.
come and break us up.
176
460249
2411
07:55
You know who came? It was the elders.
177
463026
1925
07:56
It was the parental figures
in the community.
in the community.
178
464975
2135
07:59
It was those guardians,
it was that village mentality.
it was that village mentality.
179
467440
2587
08:02
They came and said, "Stop that!"
and "Do this." and "Stop that."
and "Do this." and "Stop that."
180
470051
3055
08:05
We had mentors throughout
all of the community.
all of the community.
181
473689
3722
08:09
So it takes all of us, all of us.
182
477769
2240
08:12
And when I say community,
183
480620
1200
08:13
I'm talking about everything
that makes up a community, even --
that makes up a community, even --
184
481844
3027
08:16
listen, because I'm a preacher,
I'm very hard on the churches,
I'm very hard on the churches,
185
484895
2931
08:19
because I believe the churches
too often have become MIA,
too often have become MIA,
186
487850
2747
08:22
missing in action.
187
490621
1157
08:23
I believe they have shifted
over the last 10, 20 years
over the last 10, 20 years
188
491802
2568
08:26
from being community churches,
189
494394
1476
08:27
where you walk outside your door,
round the corner and you're in church.
round the corner and you're in church.
190
495894
3468
08:31
They shifted from that and became
commuter churches.
commuter churches.
191
499386
2860
08:34
So you now have churches who have
become disconnected by default
become disconnected by default
192
502270
4460
08:38
from the very community
where they're planted.
where they're planted.
193
506754
2455
08:42
And they don't take care
of that community.
of that community.
194
510060
2379
08:45
I could go on and on,
but I really need to wrap this up.
but I really need to wrap this up.
195
513153
2668
08:47
Community and policing:
196
515845
2651
08:50
we've all lost that precious gift,
and I call it relational equity.
and I call it relational equity.
197
518520
4301
08:55
We've lost it with one another.
198
523498
1923
08:57
It's not somebody else's fault --
199
525445
2015
08:59
it's all of our fault.
200
527484
1324
09:01
We all take responsibility in this.
201
529371
1966
09:03
But I say this: it's not too late
for all of us to build our cities
for all of us to build our cities
202
531361
3201
09:06
and nation to make it great again.
203
534586
1638
09:08
It is never too late.
204
536248
1159
09:09
It is never too late.
205
537431
1316
09:11
You see, after three years
206
539428
1401
09:12
of my four-and-a-half-year
commandship in that district,
commandship in that district,
207
540853
3238
09:16
three years in,
208
544115
1154
09:17
after putting pastors
in the car with my police
in the car with my police
209
545293
2679
09:19
because I knew this --
it's a little secret --
it's a little secret --
210
547996
2175
09:22
I knew this:
211
550195
1159
09:23
it was hard to stay a nasty police officer
212
551378
2665
09:26
while you're riding around
with a clergy.
with a clergy.
213
554067
2101
09:28
(Laughter)
214
556192
2182
09:30
(Applause)
215
558398
5797
09:38
You'd be getting in and out of the car,
looking to your right, talking about:
looking to your right, talking about:
216
566476
3529
09:42
"Father, forgive me, for I have sinned,"
all day long -- you can't do it!
all day long -- you can't do it!
217
570029
3536
09:45
So we came up with some
incredible initiatives,
incredible initiatives,
218
573589
2253
09:47
engagements for our community
and police to build that trust back.
and police to build that trust back.
219
575866
3495
09:51
We began to deal with our youth
220
579385
1559
09:52
and with those who we consider
are on the wrong side of the fence.
are on the wrong side of the fence.
221
580968
3178
09:56
We knew we had an economic problem,
222
584170
1733
09:57
so we began to create jobs.
223
585927
1492
09:59
We knew there was sickness
in our community
in our community
224
587443
2048
10:01
and they didn't have access
to proper medical care,
to proper medical care,
225
589515
2494
10:04
so we'd partner up.
226
592033
1159
10:05
We got to that intersection
and partnered up
and partnered up
227
593216
2073
10:07
with anybody that wanted
to partner with us
to partner with us
228
595313
2087
10:09
and talked about
what we needed holistically,
what we needed holistically,
229
597424
2167
10:11
never thinking about the crime.
230
599615
1513
10:13
Because at the end of the day,
231
601152
1695
10:14
if we took care
of the needs of the people,
of the needs of the people,
232
602871
2063
10:16
if we got to the root cause,
233
604958
1563
10:19
the crime would take care of itself.
234
607251
2187
10:22
It would take care of itself.
235
610599
1466
10:24
(Applause)
236
612089
4655
10:29
And so, after three years
of a four-and-a-half-year stint,
of a four-and-a-half-year stint,
237
617897
4082
10:34
we looked back and we looked over
238
622665
1676
10:36
and found out that we were
at a 40-year historical low:
at a 40-year historical low:
239
624365
3365
10:39
our crime numbers, our homicides --
240
627754
2881
10:42
everything had dropped
down, back to the 1970s.
down, back to the 1970s.
241
630659
2457
10:45
And it might go back further,
242
633140
1416
10:46
but the problem is, we only
started keeping data since 1970.
started keeping data since 1970.
243
634580
2917
10:49
Forty-year crime low, so much so,
I had other commanders call me,
I had other commanders call me,
244
637521
3096
10:52
"Hey Mel, whatcha doin', man?
245
640641
1417
10:54
Whatcha doin'? We gotta get some of that!"
246
642082
2104
10:56
(Laughter)
247
644210
1415
10:57
And so we gave them some of that.
248
645649
1659
11:00
And in a short period of time,
249
648968
1452
11:02
the city went to a 30-year crime low.
250
650444
2277
11:05
For the first time in 30 years,
we fell, Baltimore city,
we fell, Baltimore city,
251
653181
2649
11:07
to under 200 homicides -- 197 to be exact.
252
655854
2364
11:10
And we celebrated,
253
658242
1159
11:11
because we had learned
to become great servers,
to become great servers,
254
659425
3683
11:15
become great servers first.
255
663132
1737
11:16
But I gotta tell you this:
these last few years,
these last few years,
256
664893
2322
11:20
as much as we had learned
257
668607
1620
11:22
to become great proactive police officers
258
670856
2947
11:25
and great relational police officers
rather than reactive,
rather than reactive,
259
673827
3761
11:29
these last years have disappointed me.
260
677612
2065
11:32
They have broken my heart.
261
680710
1342
11:34
The uprising still hurts.
262
682644
1837
11:37
It still hurts my heart,
263
685584
1686
11:39
because truly I believe
that it should've never happened.
that it should've never happened.
264
687294
2982
11:43
I believe it should've never happened
265
691014
1793
11:44
if we were allowed to continue
along the vein that we were in,
along the vein that we were in,
266
692831
2944
11:47
servicing our community,
267
695799
1680
11:49
treating them like human beings,
treating them with respect,
treating them with respect,
268
697503
2936
11:52
loving on them first.
269
700463
1564
11:54
If we continued in that vein,
270
702670
2160
11:56
it would've never happened.
271
704854
1849
11:58
But somehow, we went back
to business as usual.
to business as usual.
272
706727
2576
12:01
But I'm excited again!
273
709956
1494
12:04
I'm excited again, because now
we have a police commissioner
we have a police commissioner
274
712164
3345
12:07
who not only talks
about community policing,
about community policing,
275
715533
3441
12:11
but he absolutely understands it,
276
719800
2318
12:14
and more importantly, he embraces it.
277
722142
2072
12:16
So I'm very excited now.
278
724238
1719
12:17
Listen, I'm excited about Baltimore today,
279
725981
2949
12:20
because we, as many cities,
I believe shall rise from the ashes.
I believe shall rise from the ashes.
280
728954
4249
12:25
I believe -- I truly believe --
281
733973
2889
12:28
(Applause)
282
736886
1022
12:29
that we will be great again.
283
737932
1778
12:32
I believe,
284
740639
1171
12:34
as we continue to wrap arms
and continue to say,
and continue to say,
285
742470
3071
12:37
"We're in this together,"
286
745565
1198
12:38
because it's not just an intersection:
287
746787
1843
12:40
once we meet, we now gotta get
on the same path for the same goals,
on the same path for the same goals,
288
748654
3634
12:44
and this city will become great again.
289
752312
2048
12:46
This nation will become great again.
290
754384
1961
12:48
Because we have the same goal:
we all want peace.
we all want peace.
291
756369
2419
12:50
We all want respect for one another.
292
758812
1734
12:52
We all want love.
293
760570
1150
12:53
And I believe we are back on that road,
294
761744
1892
12:55
and I'm so excited about it.
295
763660
1370
12:57
So listen, I thank you for giving me
a few minutes of your time.
a few minutes of your time.
296
765054
3348
13:00
God bless you all.
297
768426
1230
13:01
(Applause)
298
769680
1001
13:02
God bless you.
299
770705
1151
13:03
(Applause)
300
771880
2421
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Melvin Russell - Chief of the Community Partnership Division, Baltimore Police DepartmentMelvin Russell is bringing stakeholders together to work toward the common goal of peace and prosperity for Baltimore City.
Why you should listen
Lt. Colonel Melvin T. Russell is Chief of the Community Partnership Division, Baltimore Police Department. Russell joined The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) in 1979 as a police cadet and graduated from the BPD academy in 1981 as the first and only African American class valedictorian.
Russell worked both as a uniform patrol and then an undercover officer for 20 years before re-emerging as an Eastern District Lieutenant in 2007. In this position, Russell turned the worse midnight patrol shift in the city to the best in 3 months and was promoted to Major of the Eastern District 11 months later. It was during this time as Major that Russell created the non-profit “Transformation Team” (TTT), a grassroots organization of community shareholders that are committed to working together to make a better Baltimore.
In January 2013, Russell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and created the Community Partnership Division.
Melvin Russell | Speaker | TED.com