SOUTH BRUNSWICK — The difference between American and European policing was discussed by a special visitor from England last week.
Chief Inspector Dave Annets of the United Kingdom visited South Brunswick High School on Nov. 18 to detail the challenges of policing in England over the past 30 years, from riots to terrorism.
He highlighted challenges his police agency faced from stop and frisk encounters to protests over poor police work.
Serving for 30 years on police forces in England and as an instructor at the College of Policing and The European Police College, Annets has worked in investigations, patrol and tactical counter-terrorism. He said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 forever changed the work he did.
“Prior to Sept. 11 we were mainly focused on threats from Northern Ireland, but after the attacks in New York City, we had to shift our priorities,” he said.
He said the most stressful situation he faced in his career was following a terrorist group and deciding how long to let the group go before making arrests.
“In police work, we have to be correct 100 percent of the time. Knowing that if you make a wrong decision and act too soon, someone may get away, and if you wait too long, someone will get hurt,” he said.
Annets highlighted that strong police community relations was the key to heading off problems.
“Many of the problems facing American policing today have already been experienced in England. Riots took place over negative police interactions because we failed to engage and communicate with the community. We realized it was crucial to have public support in order to be successful,” he said.
Annets explained that while American police carry weapons, the vast majority will go their entire career without firing a weapon.
“It is not much different in England or America. Most police officers use their speech to diffuse or resolve situations,” he said.
The South Brunswick Police Department in conjunction with the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police and the South Brunswick School District served as the host to the lecture.
“Our hope was to expose the students to a different perspective that they would not otherwise have,” said South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka. “The students were able to have a global learning experience from their own classroom.”
South Brunswick School District School Superintendent Jerry Jellig added, “Today was a great cultural learning opportunity for our students and staff, and we so appreciate the South Brunswick Police Department’s support.”