Here’s what police chief candidate Michael Carroll has to say about issues facing Tacoma
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Choosing the next chief
Meet the finalists in the running to lead the Tacoma Police Department.
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Here’s what police chief candidate Michael Carroll has to say about issues facing Tacoma
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Throughout his career, Michael D. Carroll said he’s been working to shift the perception of law enforcement and build relationships between police officers and the public.
Now, he sees an opportunity to do that as a leader in Tacoma.
Carroll, 53, is one of four finalists for Tacoma Police Department’s chief of police. City officials have said they will make a decision on who will fill the role in December.
“I believe that being a Chief of Police for a city like Tacoma is a great opportunity,” Carroll told The News Tribune by phone earlier this week. “We have similar values, similar beliefs and where we are both moving in the same direction when it comes to safety for the community.”
Carroll lives in Alameda County, California with his wife, Gloria, and their Labradoodle, Diggie, and has spent 26 years in law enforcement. Most recently, he was a captain for Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, which consists of about 1,000 sworn officers. He was responsible for the Emergency Services Communication Center and served in other roles, including captain responsible for the Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility, lieutenant of the Youth and Family Services Bureau for Eden Township and sergeant of the Street Crimes Unit for the Eden Township.
When asked by The News Tribune, a spokesperson from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department said via email that there are no disciplinary records for Carroll.
In February 2021, Carroll ran briefly for sheriff of Alameda County to bring a “community-focused approach to law enforcement,” but stopped the campaign a month later.
Carroll told The News Tribune the campaign wasn’t the right timing for his family and that they were feeling a lot of stress during that time.
Carroll retired from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department in April 2021. He told The News Tribune he knew he wanted to continue his work in law enforcement but was ready to take more of a leadership role.
When asked what change he’d like to bring to Tacoma, Carroll said he would like to address the issue surrounding diversity in law enforcement, specifically finding people from the Tacoma area for the job.
“We’re not promoting and we’re not recruiting as intentional as we could be,” Carroll said. “Every officer is a recruiter, and we have to use our officers. We have to ensure that our officers are happy so that they can go out and share their profession with the community, and that is what will motivate the community.”
Right now, morale is low nationwide for police officers and that needs to change, Carroll said.
“I totally believe that morale is poor because of the short staffing and mandatory overtime and working in a pandemic. But morale is also poor because of the perception of law enforcement officers,” Carroll said. “I truly want to highlight the great work these officers are doing just to keep the community safe.”
Carroll said there are some successful programs he would look to implement in Tacoma, including one called the Barbershop Forum, which are conversations meant to bridge the communication gap between law enforcement and marginalized communities. They can involve members of law enforcement, community activists, those who are anti-law enforcement and the formerly incarcerated. Carroll said the department shared the program in cities across the United States.
“Whoever’s part of the community is brought in to take part in the conversation. And these robust conversations are designed to educate each other. And then over time, it’s designed to build relationships, partnerships and collaboration,” Carroll said.
When asked his ideas for addressing rising violent crime in Tacoma, Carroll stressed the importance of building relationships with the public, and “let everyone know that we’re all in this together, and we need everyone’s help.”
“In order to do that you have to identify those who are community stakeholders who have vested interest … And we operate as a team,” Carroll said.
Tacoma city officials are working on an ordinance to ban camping on public property. Carroll was asked what he thinks law enforcement’s role is in addressing homelessness. Carroll said that it’s not law enforcement’s job to address homelessness, but that they can work with advocates who specialize in that area.
“We have to identify resources that are available to help those who are homeless,” Carroll said. “So whether it is identifying housing, identifying shelter ... and then assist those who are experts at it.”
In Alameda, there are mental health evaluation teams who respond to calls related to mental health emergencies, and Carroll said something similar could prove fruitful for Tacoma.
Disproportionate use of force is another issue facing Tacoma. A News Tribune analysis this year found officers use force against Black people at roughly five times the rate they do against white people.
When asked if he plans to address this discrepancy, Carroll said education and de-escalation training is key. Carroll said part of the problem is “check-the-box” training sessions for de-escalation training, when there should be ongoing, continuous yearly training.
Departments should also emphasize procedural justice, he said.
“What procedural justice is, is to learn to treat people fairly, but also give them a voice,” Carroll said. “Explain your reason for your contact, give them a voice so they can be heard, and then describe your services clearly.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
