The Space Between Police & Community


When it comes to dealing with conflict and violence, we talk a lot about tactical space.

What is it exactly and what does it have to do with the recent situation of the death of Grand Rapids resident Patrick Lyoya, who was killed by a GRPD officer after a traffic stop and altercation. 

Simply put, the tactical space holds the place of advantage, the place of relative safety. 

Ok, so what does this have to do with any of this exactly?

Stick with me here a minute, because it's important that you understand this. 

However...

Before I go on, I want to back up a second to recognize that we are talking about the lives of real people here. 

My condolences go out to Patrick's family and loved ones. No matter the circumstance, it is heart breaking losing someone you love, especially to violence. 

I also want to extend my thoughts to the officer and his family. 

This situation is surely going to affect all of us, obviously, some more greatly than others, but make no mistake, it's ripple effect will be felt by all in some way.

We don't know all of the details of the situation yet, regardless I foresee a rough road ahead not just the people and families involved, but for our entire community. 

How much so will be determined by tactical space.

What?!
 
Did I Just Make a Jump There!?

NO.

No, I didn't.

Like I said, hang with me here a minute.

Most people have no clue what we are talking about when we bring up Tactical Space, To many, it just sounds like a psudo-military buzz word uttered by someone trying to sound cool. 

It's not.

It's actually a powerful concept that once understood, can help you to navigate a situation more effectively... 

Even situations like this.

The idea of tactical space is have the place of advantage. The safe place.

We often talk about this place in physical terms: Stand here you are safe, stand there, you are not.... Stand here and you have an advantage, stand there and you don't.

Well, this concept is not limited to only the physical aspect of an encounter. 
What Am I Getting At Really!?

Gaining the advantage and controlling the 'tactical space' is physical, emotional, psychological, verbal, social, etc.

Think of winning a debate or de-escalating a situation... Imagine diplomacy or 'psyching' someone out. How about reconciliation?

All of these are examples of tactical space, just in another context.
  
So, what's the 'Tactical Space' of a relationship then?

TRUST

And it's this space that will be tested here in Grand Rapids. 

Trust between the black community and law enforcement. 

Trust between the black community and the white community. 

Trust between law enforcement and the citizens.

Trust between officers.

Trust with our leaders.

Trust in one another.

Trust Takes Courage

It's going to take a lot of courage on everyone's part to navigate through this. 

There'll be difficult conversations that need to happen in the days, weeks, months, even years ahead. 

Some of these conversations will not be easy. 

You and I are not immune to this. As a matter of fact some of us reading this email will be on the front line of these discussions. 

Stay clear, calm, empathetic...

Baseline.

These conversations will come from different perspectives and are just as likely to occur between you and friends and family. They will happen in public, private, at work, on line, and sometimes sneak up on you unexpectedly,

You can win the argument, but lose a lot more. It depends on how you communicate as much as what you communicate. Remember, it's not just what you do, but also how you go about doing it. 

You have to be able to find the balance point inside of the static and emotion. 

Separate the Life Value of the Person while you approaperately discuss beliefs and deal with behavior.

It won't be easy, but it is an opportunity to build a trusting relationship, rather than just win an argument or make an enemy. 

Think of a Marriage...

It's like any relationship, good ones are built on trust. 

Trust is established in the good times and bad. 

The more trust you have, the easier it is to successfully navigate the bad times. 

Well... bad times have come a knocking here in Grand Rapids and many of us represent factions of our community that will need to heal and build.

Stay Strong. Stay Clear.

We have to keep moving forward in order to forge trusting relationships. 

There's mending to do on both sides of our fence.  

Let's try not to get in our own way. 


Want More?!

Check out my free home study course: https://sixdaydefense.com/



Keep going,
~Craig

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Uncomfortable Situation

Image
  Funny pic (and movie) about a not so funny situation… In training as in Life, it’s better to treat people with dignity and respect. However… What does that look like in the moment? Being that I’m teaching a Women’s Assault Prevention and Response Workshop this weekend - it’s probably a good time to talk about… Uncomfortable Situations Let’s talk about training at the academy for a minute… We run open co-ed classes at the local academy. What does that mean? Men and women train together, but we don’t stop there. People of different skill levels, backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, careers, religious beliefs, political affiliations, ages, injuries, pre-existing conditions, life experience, training expectations etc. etc. train together! We ALL work together! Overall, I think it’s better this way. Of course sometimes there’s static, you know, conflicts, and misunderstanding. When something happens, most of the time it’s just that, a misunderstanding… Sometimes people simply do
Read more

The Shot Heard Around the World

Image
Even though many could see where all of this division and hatred in our country was leading to, when we witness the actual violence, realty once again floods in and has a way of shattering the comfort of our complacency, if only until the next headline. Some may find all of this shocking, others may see it simply validating their own fears. Regardless, of your political views, we have to take into account what this level of violence can do not only to the former President and his family, but what does to the state of our entire Nation. Yesterday as news broke of former President Donald Trump being shot, I can’t say that I was entirely surprised. Saddened, but not surprised. Regardless of your political stance, this act of violence is a dark reminder of the dangerous consequences of a society steeped in hate and division. Our collective heartbreak should not be about politics, but about the division and hatred that fuels this erosion of our humanity. We live in a time where traditional
Read more

Cutting Through the Static

Image
  Me and the crew at Venue 3 Two after a PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Workshop Remember in the old days when you used to listen to the radio on a road trip? No, not digital or streaming. I’m talking about old school FM radio. When you’re putting some miles on and crossing state lines. The radio stations you listen to don’t broadcast far enough for your entire trip, so you have to channel surf to find new channels as you move on down the road. You continue to push the search button until you hear a song in the genre that you want so you can lock in a desirable station for a spell. Sometimes you’re listening to a song you really like but the station is fading… The static starts feint, almost imperceptible, than grows in intensity to the degree that you can no longer ignore it. If you really like the song, you try to hang on as long as you can, listening to the tune through the white noise and times it cuts out completely, hoping to hear as much of the song as you can before the sta
Read more