Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol
Zero-Based Law Enforcement
Part Twenty
Community involvement would be a critical element of Zero-Based Law Enforcement.
That involvement could take many forms, including some of which are utilized today by law enforcement entities in communities throughout the United States.
A few examples:
Law enforcement officers could meet people where they are, not where law enforcement officers believe people should be.
To meet that goal, law enforcement officers could meet with members of the general public or segments of the general public at a coffee shop or donut shop (yes, even with the jokes, many donut shops could be great locations for such meetings since many donut shops are open for extended hours).
These meetings could be a way to “break bread” between groups that may typically only meet in times of crisis. Meeting when nothing is going wrong is a better way to have open communications between law enforcement officers and the general public.
Instead of just handing out traffic tickets for routine, non-violent traffic offenses – for example, speeding, running a stop sign, and similar types of traffic infractions – law enforcement officers could also hand out other items for people obeying traffic regulations.
For example, gift cards for meals for two at local restaurants, stuffed animals for parents driving vehicles with children in properly-secured car seats, and other types of products could be handed out to drivers by law enforcement officers.
To reduce non-emergency calls coming into the 911 telecommunications systems, law enforcement entities could tie those emergency management systems into the 311 telecommunications systems. This would allow 911 operators to immediately transfer non-emergency calls to 311 operators. In cases where 311 calls were determined to involve actual emergencies, this interconnection would allow 311 operators to immediately transfer emergency calls to 911 operators.
These interconnections could provide greater efficiencies for both telecommunications systems, better response times, and more targeted services for the general public, both for emergency and non-emergency situations.
More coordinated interconnections could also be implemented between law enforcement entities that have shared responsibilities for similar services as well as for the same or nearby communities.
Law enforcement entities could plan proactively to deploy resources and services for likely anticipated events. For example, in areas where snow and ice storms are likely, law enforcement entities could preemptively identify those individuals who require dialysis treatments on a daily basis or on a two-day cycle.
When snow and ice storms are forecast, law enforcement entities could arrange for law enforcement officers to be assigned to supervise the clearing of snow and ice at the homes of individuals needing dialysis treatments. Those law enforcement officers could then supervise individuals who have been ordered by courts to perform community service due to criminal activities.
The law enforcement entities could also work with the entities that are responsible for clearing the roadways of snow and ice for likely routes between the homes of the dialysis patients and dialysis centers. As an alternative, law enforcement entities could arrange for dialysis patients to relocate to short-term housing near dialysis centers the day before the snow and ice storms are forecast to affect the communities.
The joint efforts of law enforcement entities, the participating court systems, the snow removal and ice treatment entities, and the dialysis centers providing the critical services would preemptively allow individuals needing dialysis treatments to know that they would be able to get to and from their necessary dialysis treatments.
Another example of preemptively identifying needs would be for law enforcement entities to plan for ways to protect senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and others truly in need when temperatures are higher than a particular point or when temperatures are lower than a specific mark.
Through all of these types of situations – as well as the more routine law enforcement circumstances – law enforcement entities could provide decompression opportunities for law enforcement officers.
These could include activities that focus on the mental well-being of law enforcement officers as well as activities where law enforcement officers could do things that have nothing to do with law enforcement. For example, sharing a meal with their families and loved ones, planting flowers along a streambank, visiting a petting zoo with small animals, or participating in yoga.
The goal would be to bring some balance to the lives of law enforcement officers.
Together, these forms of community involvement could be critical elements of Zero-Based Law Enforcement.
The next news column in this series on Zero-Based Law Enforcement will focus on summarizing the key aspects of this operational philosophy.
Peirspictiochtai Ar A Saol – Gaelic – Irish – for “Perspectives On Life” is a column focused on aspects of accountability and responsibility as well as ways people look at life.
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© 2026 Richard McDonough
