Police Officer Draws Gun: Social Workers Can Help

“Officer draws gun on unarmed teenagers” is currently trending on various information sources.  I found information on Buzzfeed and NPR complete with videos of the incident.  The news networks are also covering this new event.  Emotionally charged comments and opinions are plentiful on the blogosphere.  These incidents are symptoms of deeper issues within the law enforcement community.

Events such as these present an opportunity for social work professionals to provide solutions using their knowledge and expertise of social work practice.  Professional social workers, who are entrepreneurial minded, should also view these incidents as opportunities for career growth and advancement as well.

Law enforcement officers need solutions and training to avert the appearance of being overly aggressive, unyielding and unreasonable.  They also need strategies that enable them to do their jobs while providing them with substantive protection.  Social workers have the knowledge and expertise to provide a comprehensive solution and training.

Social Work practice provides solutions by:

Developing appropriate responses to problems based on client needs

Creatively combining knowledge, values and skills to gain understanding and build relationships

Respecting and facilitating healthy interactions among individuals, groups and environments

Assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating work at every level

Law enforcement agencies have a problem and they are looking for solutions that social workers deliver.

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