Trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve is essential in a democracy. It is key to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective delivery of policing services. Building trust and nurturing legitimacy on both sides of the police/citizen divide is the foundational principle underlying the nature of relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Decades of research and practice support the premise that people are more likely to obey the law when they believe that those who are enforcing it have authority that is perceived as legitimate by those subject to the authority. Law enforcement cannot build community trust if it is seen as an occupying force coming in from outside to impose control on the community.
In an effort to continue building trust and legitimacy with our community, I have attached our departments traffic stop data from my tenure as Police Chief, 2015-2020.
Thank you,
Gary F. Sullivan
Chief of Police
Easton Police Department Statistics 2015 – 2020