Is saying ‘I love you’ enough? 

Floyd’s death, under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, was a flashpoint in the often tense relationship between police agencies and the communities they serve. 

Floyd’s death prompted many to ask how a routine encounter with police ended so violently. Did his life not matter to the officers who initially detained him? 

One of my courses at USF requires students read “The End of Policing.” The main thesis is modern policing needs to be defunded and reimagined.

The book contends that lesser reforms — oversight committees, the hiring of more diverse officers and expansive training — will not fundamentally change police culture.

“The police don’t love you; they are here to arrest you” is the message.

Many of my students embrace this thesis. Particularly those who identify as minorities. I should share that I have been pulled over by the police more times than I think is normal in the last 10 years. 

Three years ago, I shared a post on Facebook titled “Cops that Love.”

In that message, San Bruno Police Chief Ryan Johansen publicly condemned George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis officers and told our community that he loved them. 

One has to acknowledge that this was an unprecedented stance to take regardless of how you feel about Floyd, the police, or the protests that dominated the news in the summer of 2020.

Some officers marched with protestors. Others held Black Lives Matter signs. Some kneeled. Chief Johansen did all the above and told his community that he loved them. 

Is simply saying ‘I love you’ enough? 

I had coffee with Chief Johansen to re-examine his “love” statement and to revisit the issues that had manifested in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Chief Johansen is not the first law enforcement officer I have engaged with on this topic. Typically, my questions have been met with deflection, some version of the bad apple theory, and the need to hold people accountable — above all else. 

Everyone I know wants a safe community. 

Can we have a police department that keeps us safe, genuinely acknowledges our concerns and delivers the highest degree of service and professionalism? 

I was impressed with Chief Johansen’s sense of empathy, his ability to genuinely listen, and his heartfelt responses. When I asked what prompted him to tell his community that he loved them, he confessed that after a great deal of soul searching, those near and dear to him helped him navigate his emotions, articulate the words and ultimately share the message. 

To this point, I believe that words do matter and as such wanted to know what else had changed, been implemented or reassessed since Floyd’s passing. 

Sustaining a sense of empathy among officers, making sure officers are supported so they can show up as the best version of themselves, and prioritizing a holistic approach to modern policing were all themes Chief Johansen elaborated on. 

Police officers, like all of us, encounter challenges in life. Given their profession, these issues are often compounded by the work they do. 

Chief Johansen suggested that what happened in Minneapolis was troubling and symptomatic of officers who are frustrated, harbor animosity toward the public they serve and afflicted by low morale. Social science literature is clear that such a milieu can radiate toxicity in any profession.

Do our police love us? Is it enough that they do? Are Chief Johansen’s words and leadership enough to show those most alienated from the police how to learn to love them back? 

Skeptics of this approach and his words and deeds abound. Some will say it is window dressing. Others will claim showing undue affection for the public degrades officer safety.

I think we all have to show a degree of vulnerability. Asking one to see and value your humanity requires you to reciprocate.  

I do believe that Chief Johansen’s approach to coupling actions to words are the foundational aspects of a more progressive and effective model of modern policing. When we all have a shared sense of humanity, when we can openly show love and affection for one another, we can begin to collectively ensure that what happened to George Floyd doesn’t happen again. This is my genuine hope for what Facebook will “remind me” of in the future.

Marco Durazo lives in San Bruno

and is a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco.