On Tuesday, November 3, 2015, Mike Hamel, Irvine’s Chief of Police, visited Pacifica’s Orange County branch and gave a valuable talk on public trust. He began his talk with a simple claim; the public holds the power, because whatever gains their trust gets the majority of government. Only when the public has placed their trust within the police department will they be able to do their job to the fullest.

Mike Hamel..

Because the police want the support from the community they have to be very diverse, and diversity means much more than just race. As Irvine expands- we must be aware of this diverse growth and connect with all parts of those communities.

Training is vital to having the best officers and having officers who are diverse and open minded who know when to use force and their power. There are many new programs that help officers to overcome biases and come to conclusions without unconscious biases.

The Irvine Police Department understands the value in investing in our youth using programs such as DARE, because the current youth is our future.

One last note that Chief Hamel Body mentioned, is body-cameras and the fact that every police department will soon have them. But contrary to the public’s notions, body-cameras are only a very small amount of building public trust so we must continue to earn the public’s trust as we have always done, and stay connected as a community.

With this in mind, it is certain that for our safety, security, and future generation, we must cooperate with the police, and think of them truly as a part of the community.