White House Police Briefing Shows Joliet Police Dept. is Ahead of the Curve

• Photo: Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton poses for a photo during the White House briefing of policing. (Courtesy of the Joliet Police Department)

JOLIET, IL — Last Friday, Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton got to spend the day at the White House in Washington, DC for a briefing on 21st Century Policing.

This was the third of at least seven sessions where senior law enforcement officials were invited to attend and discuss the president’s policing task force report and get feedback on it.

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While there, Benton learned that a lot of the suggestions shared have already been implemented within the department.

“It said a lot to me to sit there and listen to the president’s recommendations and know that we’re already doing it,” Benton said.

One area in which the Joliet Police Department is ahead of the game is in its use of social media.

“If you go on our Facebook page, we’re already trying to share feel good stories, we’re already reaching out,” Benton said, but added that they could also do more with Twitter and Tumblr.

Another aspect of policing that the Joliet Police Department is already doing is de-escalation training, Benton said.

“That’s kind of a new concept in policing,” Benton said. “Traditionally, we’ve always taught our police officers never to back away.”

Benton cited the Eric Garner case out of New York as an example of where engaging a suspect may not have been the best decision at the time. Garner was tackled by police for selling loose cigarettes. He died as a result.

“There have been a number of incidents that’s prompted us as law enforcement to say ‘Do I always need to make this arrest right now at this time or is there another way for me to handle this situation,’” Benton said.

Benton believes that instruction to officers is why the department does not have a lot of excessive force complaints.

While Benton said the police department has not had a lot of incidents where people report an arrest or confrontation was racially motivated, that doesn’t mean some people aren’t walking away feeling they could have been treated with more respect.

“Those are often not situations where they would complain to me or the officer,” Benton said. “I’m proud to say we do not get a lot of complaints regarding the way our officers treat citizens.”