Van Beek: Partnerships in safety
When we consider safety, it truly does take a village. In Eagle County, in addition to the Sheriff’s Office, we have such great police departments that work collectively as one unit to keep our community safe. We are also fortunate to have dedicated public and private agencies that take on critical support services within this safety net.
With all the change going on at the state, national and global level, people wonder about my role in these affairs. I thought I’d cover a bit on how various roles interact.
We are all dealing with tough issues like immigration, gun control, voting rights, the economy, national security, and all of the other topics that dominate a 24-hour news cycle. Naturally, as a community and as law enforcement, we are all impacted by decisions made at the state and federal levels. Some of these actions are controversial and may spark feelings of uncertainty. Yet in actuality, most of our interactions here remain unchanged.
Still, it can be confusing to determine who is in charge of what … especially when we want to prompt change within the legal system. There are multiple levels of complexity.
As residents of this incredible community, we work collectively in our areas of specialty, sometimes in awe of the expanse and limitations of our responsibilities. We all want to be the superheroes who fix everything, but much of what we do is dictated elsewhere. This is true in all fields, from medical to hospitality … we all must work within guidelines established elsewhere.
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We all operate under a chain-of-command framework, from families to businesses, from communities to religion. These structures provide societal “rules of engagement” that dominate civil behavior.
Our various positions allow us a degree of discretion, yet we all understand that there are areas in which we have no control and despite our desire to do so, are limited in how we implement elements of our responsibilities. Law enforcement is no different.
With headline-making changes occurring all across the globe, most of what local law enforcement does, to keep everyone safe, is actually unchanged. We remain a small community, with a diverse population, from the urban-minded to the rural, and with multiple cultures adding to the mosaic of our beautiful landscape.
To better understand the role of law enforcement, it’s helpful to consider where it stands in the spectrum of our legal system.
Laws establishing parameters of safety are put into place at both the state and federal levels. There are legislative considerations and constitutional mandates. Some directly impact our daily function, like road construction and speed limits, but others are more subtle, creating an invisible safety net to keep things cohesive across county, state, and national lines.
These are established to maintain the integrity of our communities and protect us against the most extreme situations. While we may think that certain laws are unnecessary, they help to provide protections for the exception.
Law enforcement is multidimensional. While we have latitude in implementation, we must adhere to the laws of the land, both personally and professionally … what rules you, also rules us, with the key distinction being our fiduciary responsibilities, which creates broader accountability.
When there is a conflict between the law and its implementation, we must defer to legislators to make the needed corrections. Sometimes the law cannot be amended without considerable challenges, so it will be referred to a judge for interpretation, or to establish its constitutionality.
Once decided, law enforcement is on the frontline of implementation. We answer to the people we serve. We must also comply with directives mandated by legislation and judicial orders at both the state and federal levels.
That’s not to say we don’t have an influence. City and county officials have state and national representation through their various associations. These organizations work closely with legislators to address local concerns in the bills they propose.
We also encourage citizen participation in the process, as your input has tremendous influence. It reminds legislators that theory does not always translate efficiently into practice. It’s also important to remember that officials might be unfamiliar with how a particular bill impacts rural versus urban environments, depending on their background.
It’s “we the people” who can more accurately help them achieve the desired results in a responsible, respectful, and cost-effective manner. And, while laws are being challenged, police must abide by them as currently written.
Despite the best of intentions, the process can be flawed. Since laws are made by people and people are subject to errors in judgment, the process can create challenges on multiple levels. If a law is unsustainable or if the implementation of its intent does not match reality, it may require amending or even elimination. While all involved have personal opinions about various laws, they must operate within the legal framework established by the process, regardless of their desire for a different outcome.
Ultimately, we are all in this together and each of us has a role to play. We may at times feel helpless, but it is actually the people of this country who have the ultimate power to enact change.
We are law enforcement, but also your neighbors, friends, and family, who must also abide by the same legal structure as everyone else. Together, we will continue to maintain the partnerships we have created to keep this place our safe and happy home.
James van Beek is the Eagle County sheriff. You can reach him at james.vanbeek@eaglecounty.us.
