THE EDITOR, Sir:
ACP Gary Welsh has come in for much criticism for his handling of the driving stunt case on a public road.
In the news item which sparked this outrage, I saw a young man apologise profusely – stating he was sorry and promising it would never happen again. He further stated that the errant driver would be assisting him in getting this message to the public.
But we are not satisfied. And I know why. What all of this revealed is a deep-seated resentment – with feelings of envy and inferiority – directed towards light-skinned persons of privilege. What should ACP Welsh have done? Punch him? Imprison him?
For generations, we have been using fear and cruelty in a desperate attempt to change behaviour. The result is that there is now more fear and more cruelty, nationwide, along with a diminished sense of police legitimacy.
ALTERNATIVES
During the 2008-2009 school year, Garfield High School (GHS) in Los Angeles had 683 suspensions. The school district decided to employ an alternative to this disciplinary strategy – teachable moments. Detention, for example, was seen as a time for reflection and discussion.
Through these efforts, GHS has established a number of meaningful and positive policies to address school discipline. Quantifiable results testify to the strength of the policy change. During the 2011-2012 school year, GHS issued only one suspension, and the school’s graduation rate increased from 62 per cent to 71 per cent.
GLENN TUCKER