The Divide Between Police and Citizen and a Look into QCC's Own Police Department - Maddie Pascarella

    The United States of America is within the largest civil rights movement in our country. At the head of it all is the reform of the country’s police departments nationwide to combat the racism that has been seen to run rampant through police departments across the country. Here at Quinsigamond Community College, we have a hugely diverse student body, as well as a police department with jurisdiction over the school. Where do campus police lie amidst the call for police reform here at QCC? How do they view this civil rights movement? Is it met with contempt, or with open arms? To better understand our campus police and the individuals within it as well as what our campus police here at QCC stands for, I interviewed QCC’s own chief of police, Chief Kevin Ritacco as well as a young black man who feels fear for the law enforcement establishment.

Police reform is something that is absolutely, indubitably needed in our country. With institutionalized racism proven to be woven into the fabric of law enforcement as well as many other aspects of our country, the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 created a perfect example of what is wrong with American law enforcement. With the graphic video taken, the country was affected by what they saw and rushed to the streets to protest against racism. These protests became cause for more protests, as police officers tear gassed the protesters and fired rubber bullets into the crowds, furthuring the gaps between civilians and police and leading to further outrage and distaste for law enforcement. Even disregarding the years and years of police injustice and abuse of power that has been observed throughout this country’s history, the events during and following the death of George Floyd are more than enough to prove the desperate need for extensive reform to law enforcement in the United States. 

At QCC, we have a diverse student body and a police department unique to this college. I interviewed the Chief of Police at QCC, Kevin Ritacco, with questions on his standings on police departments in the United States, and where QCC’s police department is amidst the call for reform. First, we must seek a better understanding of what the QCCPD is. Ritacco was happy to share this information with me. Ritacco has been with QCC for 40 years. He is available 24/7, and is the leader of the Quinsigamond Community College Police Force, a stand-alone police department staffed by certified Special Police Officers. “The police function of the Campus Police Department is very much the same as municipal police,” Ritacco said, although he mentioned that aside from handling 911 calls and other tasks associated with municipal policing, the campus police are tasked with activities and duties that cause officers to be “imbedded in our communities in a unique way.” Officers at QCC have duties such as opening doors for students, helping students with flat tires, jump starts, getting keys out of locked cars, and other such community support that has nothing to do with legal inquisition. This leads to a strong community bond that isn’t seen within large police departments, giving a unique view on the community that they serve, despite being a legally accredited law enforcement establishment. This community bond, Ritacco said, made it easier to keep QCC a safe community. Now that we have this perspective on the function of the QCCPD, let's delve into the bigger questions. 

“There is a lot of heated discussion regarding policing in America. As a college campus police chief, I'm sure you have very unique thoughts towards this. What are some things, if any, that you'd like to see change with your department here at the QCC campus?” I asked Ritacco. 

“The change in American Policing is certainly overdue in many aspects,” he said. “Accountability of officers and their leaders such as myself is very important. Open communication between stakeholders and police are needed. In Massachusetts, the new police reform bill is a start.” To understand that this will be a long process with many reform laws and to not only expect these changes to continue and grow, but to hope for them to do so is a heartening thing to hear from the leader of such a diverse school’s police chief. Ritacco went on to say “I think accountability is no different on a college campus than any other police department. A police officer is a police officer, and all officers have the capability of taking your freedom away by arrest. New methods of policing need to be looked at in a practical way not in a knee jerk reaction.”  I asked Ritacco if he had any other thoughts he would like to share on these matters. He stated that he made a joint statement with the Dean of QCC following the death of George Floyd. The department, he said, will be running a police academy recruit course in the fall. He hopes that this course will help with equity issues within police departments in the area, and that it will be possibly the most diverse group of recruits in the state. Ritacco stated that he truly believes that equity in every single aspect of our society will make not just the nation a better nation, but the people within it better people. Finally, I asked what he would say to anyone who is struggling to trust police officers, who is afraid of police brutality and the institution as a whole. Ritacco replied “I understand the mistrust and look forward to rectifying that mistrust over time with accountability. I believe change will come!”

These powerful words and hope for a positive future for the policing establishment are important to hear and understand to know where the QCCPD stands with the citizens they serve. I sought out the opinion of a young black man who has a fear of the police establishment, and has difficulty trusting them, to give his thoughts on Ritacco’s statements. He decided to remain anonymous. “Why are you afraid of the police?” I asked him. The fear of police officers, he said, comes from the negative encounters experienced by his brother, who is darker than him and has therefore experienced more prejudice, citing blatant colorism within police departments. His social circles tend to share videos of police brutality and prejudice which has caused greater fear of the police establishment as well. There are good cops, he stated, but it “takes one bad police officer for it to be all over, ya know?” I asked him what he thought about the changes suggested by chief Ritacco. It's a fair statement, he said, but easy to say and hard to do. It's a daunting task, and the execution of it will take some real work and precision. “It goes deeper than accountability and reform,” he stated. Lastly I shared with him the statement that Ritacco had directed towards people like him who were feared by the police department. The anonymous source replied “I don’t think anything can be said to someone who fears police brutality without clear actions being made to stop this. How can you tell someone not to be afraid with no clear evidence that they can hold onto? One police officer doesn’t speak for them all,” he said. “It’s easy for a police officer to say these things with ease.” The anonymous source paraphrased this in stating that the words of Chief Ritacco were positive ones, and were a good message, however those thoughts don’t apply universally throughout police institutions nationwide.

Will this divide reduce with time? Only that time will tell. But in order for it to reduce, sacrifices will need to be made and heavy reform will need to be produced. This reform is absolutely necessary as racism within police departments is widespread and common, but it is nice to know that the QCC Police Chief has an open mind for the changes to come, and looks forward to a brighter America.