The relationship between the media and policing has been scrutinized since the first time a cop investigated a crime and a journalist was tasked with writing about it. Just when that happened depends on which historian you talk to but you can bet that whatever transpired between the two laid the groundwork for the relationship that exists today.
The Mass Media/Law Enforcement dynamic is often referred to as symbiotic. One could say that the relationship between the media and police is one of both collaboration and potential tension. The media depends on the police for information, while the police use the media to shape public perception and foster trust. Simply put; one hand feeds the other.
Stephan Neufeld is the Commander of The Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the OPP and has been for the past 7.5 years of his three decades on the force keeping the peace. Neufeld has seen it all.
Inspector Neufeld held a breakfast meeting recently for a handful of local journalists all of whom have their own stories to tell. Not surprisingly, Neufeld knows many of the same stories. The relationship between The Commander and the media has not been without a few bumps in the road but like any long lasting marriage, you take the good days and the bad days in stride.
Neufeld made a point of expressing his desire to continue to keep the lines of communication as wide open as possible while noting that at times the job requires a tight lipped approach for varying reasons. Like the other half of the successful marriage, the journalists at the table nodded in tacit agreement. There is an understanding, albeit at times grudgingly, that this is true and always will be.
It is a time when most of us are walking around with a camera (disguised as a telephone) that is ever ready to capture the slightest hint of impropriety when it comes to police activity. We’ve seen everything from an almost imperceptive verbal slight from an officer towards a citizen to full blown murder captured in real time. Inspector Neufeld is very aware of the current climate and makes no bones about the fact that times have changed.
He told the group that one of the biggest changes for the better in policing over the years is the intense social sensitivity training that every officer undergoes regardless of whether they are fresh out of the Academy or a battle weary veteran. He himself has seen the positive impact of the new approach to community policing and while never perfect, is a very big step in the right direction.
Neufeld wrapped up the gathering to assure the members of the media at the table as well as his own officers that as long as he holds his position, he will continue to foster a relationship of integrity and inclusion towards the men and women of the press.
(Written By: Richard Evans)