PHOENIX — As we wrap up our series with Arizona Department of Public Safety Colonel Jeffrey Glover, we are taking a look at the barriers he's broken - not just in his current role, but throughout his career.
Glover was the first Black chief of the Tempe Police Department and is also the first African American person to lead DPS.
Glover says his childhood, split between Maryvale and Compton, just outside Los Angeles, influenced how he approaches his job today.
"I did not have a plan of even going into law enforcement," explains Col. Glover. "It wasn't in my 'Top 10' bucket list things to do."
But his diverse background gave him a perspective that serves him well in his current role.
"Being able to have that both sides of the coin where you grow up in different neighborhoods, where you had an understanding of people's struggles, but also getting involved in policing and understanding there are a lot of nuances to this job, but a lot that can be given back in terms of compassion and kindness,"
Glover said. "And being able to understand people and meeting them where they are at...That is something I have been pretty good at throughout my career, especially in the field."
His approach focuses on connecting people with resources they need and leading them "down the right path," which is why community engagement remains a priority for him.
Recent data shows there's still work to be done in building trust between law enforcement and communities of color. A 2022 report from the Bureau of Justice
Statistics and Prison Policy Initiative found Black drivers were three times more likely than White drivers to be searched or arrested during traffic stops.
For community members who don't feel understood by law enforcement, particularly in Black and Brown communities, Glover has a direct message.
"Reach out. Have conversations," Glover said. "What they'll find is that we lean into those conversations if they have concerns, we are open to being able to share our experience, but then also to give feedback to what we are seeing in their particular area. But we want to hear from them because they are living that experience."
He emphasizes that effective policing requires collaboration.
"It's a give and take. It's a shared responsibility. It takes the community and police working together to make sure we are keeping the community safe, but we also need to hear from them too," Glover said.
As the first African American person to lead DPS, Glover recognizes the significance of his position in opening doors for others.
"I think for me personally it means that there is that opportunity for someone of color to (ascend) to a position like this. It opens doors and it creates pathways for individuals who did not even think that this would be a career option to them," Glover said.
He reflected on how seeing representation in leadership might have influenced his own career path decades earlier.
"Many years ago, in the 90s, I didn't think about this as a career path, but looking back, if I saw somebody in a position like this and saw someone out in the community, it probably would have been a little more at the forefront of my mind of looking at this as an option," Glover said.
In December, Glover received recognition from the Arizona NAACP for his community work, but he views building trust as an ongoing effort.
"I think it's always a work in progress. Any time you are talking about the trust of community members and policing, that will always be a work in progress where we have to earn that trust," Glover said.
He accomplishes this by maintaining accessibility and working with various organizations, including the NAACP, Urban League, and CPLC.
"We have to make sure we are accessible. I think the accessibility of being able to have conversations and talk through the challenges that we are currently faced with," Glover said.
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