Hiram – Racial unrest has erupted in cities large and small across the country, and even rural Ohio is feeling the pressure. Good police officers of every race have been called into question due to the terrible actions of a few individuals. “2020 has been a rough year for police officers, Hiram Police Chief Brian Gregory acknowledged.
It’s one of the reasons the Hiram Police Department is part of Ohio Collaborative, a state-wide panel of law enforcement experts that began in 2015 in order to establish state-wide standards for the first time in Ohio’s history. The Collaborative works to establish standards in topics ranging from recruitment and hiring to the use of force, including use of deadly force to help guide law enforcement agencies across the state. These new standards help to hold everyone accountable, and instill a greater confidence with the public. When Brian Gregory was promoted to serve as Hiram’s Chief in 2016, his primary goal for the department was to become certified by the Ohio Collaborative, something that 79% of all law enforcement officers in the state have done.
“It’s not a simple process,” Gregory explained. It requires reporting of statistical information, which is compiled each year based on department duty logs. Items including officer encounters with the public, including the race and sex of those involved in activities like traffic stops and arrests, are compiled and reported every year. According to Chief Gregory, of the 773 encounters with the Hiram Police Department in 2019, 447 were white males, 221 were white females, 41 were Black males, and 14 were Black females while 10 were of unknown ethnicity. As a part of the Collective, departments across the state implement standard policies and procedures that help departments effectively work within their communities. But effective policies and procedures can only go so far; rigorous training is required.
Chief Gregory explained that the entire department participates in training throughout the year on a variety of topics. Specialized training in the use of force takes place each year and includes training on relevant methods of operation, and scenarios for practice, and testing to measure retention. Topics covered include discriminatory harassment and the use of force, both very relevant topics in these days of unrest. “We also rely on neighboring departments,” Gregory noted, which provides access to even more training opportunities for officers. He noted that joint training with the Garrettsville Police Department provided the Hiram PD with the access to warm zone and active shooter training; sharing resources makes the most of limited budgets. “Small towns need to stick together,” Gregory noted.
Gregory noted that over the past five years, a lot of police training has been geared toward working with the public. He noted how this augments the Hiram Police Department’s goal of community policing established by Gregory’s predecessor, Chief Ed Samec. According to Gregory, in a typical (non-Covid) year, the HPD hosts around 20 events, including a car show, pancake breakfast, July 4th bike rodeo, and the annual Shop with a Cop program that helps area kids in financial difficulty have a brighter holiday. Officers attend these events to meet and connect with the people they serve. As an example, Corporal Brown and K9 officer Guapo regularly do demonstrations to provide kids and their families the chance to see the team in action.
It’s not uncommon for HPD officers to visit kids and parents at the playground at Jagow Park near Hiram’s Police (and Fire) Departments, giving kids the opportunity to talk with first responders in a benign, approachable setting. Some kids, like those pictured, took time out of their summer fun to make and deliver thank you cards to officers to make sure their heroes know they’re appreciated.
Gregory noted the important role parents have in helping portray police officers in a positive light to their children. He explained that if children are warned to behave or “the police will take them to jail”, they’ll be hesitant to ask an officer for help during an emergency.
In addition, the HPD has enlisted local Reverend Chris McCreight to serve as the department’s Chaplain to help officers in dealing with difficulties they face on the job. “Many good officers are made to feel like they aren’t wanted or needed.” Gregory shared. “Are there bad cops? Of course there are,” Gregory acknowledged. “Just as there are bad doctors, lawyers, and any other field you can name. There are also countless men and women who work tirelessly to protect and serve their friends and neighbors in the communities they serve.
