Shaker’s new police chief is a man on a mission.
Interview by Rory O’Connor
Police Chief Wayne Hudson during a recent visit to Shaker High. Photo by Robert Muller.
In Partnership with Our Community
When Wayne D. Hudson was sworn in as the new chief of police for Shaker Heights in January, City Council chambers were packed with family; friends; elected officials; representatives of Shaker Schools, Shaker Police, Shaker Fire, Citizens Police Academy; and even law enforcement from surrounding cities.
During his introduction, Mayor David Weiss said, “We don’t change chiefs of police very often, and when we do, it’s a very important day for us. We had a national search. This was not an easy process to get through, but a very robust process. At the end of the day, Wayne Hudson really stood out for us. We are very lucky to have him join us in Shaker Heights.”
Hudson most recently served as chief deputy sheriff of Douglas County, Nebraska – the most populous county in the state. A native of Omaha, Hudson joined the Air Force after high school, serving from 1986-1992.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, and a master’s degree in public administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 234th session and a past president of the Metropolitan Chiefs Association in Nebraska.
Hudson comes to Shaker as a man on a mission: to make the men and women responsible for law enforcement in town Shaker-centric, as much as possible, starting with a focus on the City’s youth.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q How do Shaker’s size and wide-ranging demographics impact your law enforcement strategies? What can residents expect?
A Residents can expect a neighborhood-specific style of community policing called Community Directed Policing, which is a way for a law enforcement agency to design a crime-prevention/ intervention strategy based on the specific needs of each neighborhood. The Shaker Heights Police Department will meet with each established neighborhood association to learn what we can do to assist with any crime or safety concerns. This model will concentrate on how the SHPD can be a partner to assist in making the community safer. The first phrase of our mission statement is “In partnership with our community.”
Q You’ve spoken to a criminology class at Shaker Heights High School. What should people know and teach their kids about interacting with law enforcement?
A We are not the enemy. We are not to be feared. And we’re not the disciplinary police. I know this sounds clichéd, but we’re here to serve and protect all residents of our city, and this includes our youth. The youth in our community have rights. Parents and guardians should tell kids we’re here to help them if there’s an issue. Parents and guardians should be involved in any and all questioning of their minor child.
Chief Hudson with Onanway School students and
A To try to prevent some of the negative interactions with law enforcement that you see sometimes happening across the country, I put together a program called “What to Do When Stopped by Law Enforcement.” It’s a 45-minute presentation. Myself and another gentleman from Omaha taught this class from a standpoint of a law enforcement officer and also a community member. I’ve taught it once so far here at a youth gathering and once at the High School. You’d be amazed at how many people, even adults, don’t understand what to do in a traffic stop.
Don’t ever fight your ticket on the street, you will never win. The other thing is, don’t argue on the street. If you feel the officer was wrong, file a formal complaint. Most agencies have what’s called an early warning system. A certain number of complaints against an officer during a certain time period triggers the CEO to look at that officer harder. We investigate every complaint that comes through this office.
Q Any other ideas about how to engage with the community?
A In connecting with our youth, I’d love to see programs that bring law enforcement and the youth in our community together for positive interactions and communication. In Nebraska, I did an annual, free program called Teen Summit to provide high school students with networking opportunities, life skills training, college prep training, and a career and health fair. Non-profit organizations attended to connect the kids with resources to help them reach their future goals.
I also want to implement a Youth Citizens Academy. What I’m hoping to do is spark some interest in law enforcement. After school is out, we would have a program where kids come in for a week or two and see what it’s like to be a law enforcement officer. Just a small piece.
Q Recruiting officers from the community as much as possible?
A Exactly. They already have a buy-in. They know the community, they know the culture of the community, they know the Shaker way. That’s what I want. When you bring in somebody from the outside, they’re bringing their biases in, they’re bringing their culture in, and sometimes that won’t fit with this community. But if I’ve got somebody who grew up here and has lived here, and they have the training and education, it’s a win-win.
Mayor David Weiss swearing in Chief Hudson. Photo by Robert Muller.
A I have. The Citizens Police Academy is a testament to this community because you have a group of individuals who are willing to give up their time, go to the academy, form an association, and turn around and give back to the department and the citizens of Shaker Heights.
Residents can expect a neighborhood-specific style of community policing called Community Directed Policing, which is a way for a law enforcement agency to design a crime-prevention/ intervention strategy based on the specific needs of each neighborhood.
QWhy is communication important in your job?
A Effective communication is critical in law enforcement. Too many times we see law enforcement agencies and community members talking at each other instead of talking to each other. As a law enforcement leader I feel it is vitally important that I make the space necessary for my agency and the community to have active dialogue. This may mean having open, honest, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations. I do this because it’s hard to de-humanize someone when you are having a face-to-face conversation.
Q You’ve said that Shaker has more DEI training than other agencies you know of?
A One of the many things that attracted me to Shaker Heights was the intentional effort the City has made to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The City has a full-time chief DEI officer who is very active within City departments and the community. When I was doing my research on Shaker Heights, I was able to see how DEI is woven into the very fabric of the City administration.
Q You’ve said that citizen complaints about the police are very low in town. That can be taken as a compliment to your predecessor.
A In the past three years there have been close to 100,000 calls for service in Shaker Heights. Out of the 100,000 calls for service there have been just 45 citizen complaints with only five of those being complaints of biased policing. That’s remarkable. Former Chief Jeff DeMuth set a standard of law enforcement that I can follow and that I can build upon. He understood that to keep public trust and legitimacy, we as law enforcement leaders must set high standards for integrity, ethics, and performance. We must hold our people accountable for their actions and inactions.
QFinally: At your swearing-in ceremony you talked about the warrior vs the guardian sides of law enforcement and, interestingly, Plato’s vision of a perfect society. Can you elaborate?
A There are two sides to law enforcement. There’s a warrior side, and there’s a guardian side. I love the guardian side when it comes to Plato’s vision of a perfect society. It says, in a republic that honors the core of democracy, the greatest amount of power is given to those called guardians. Only those with the most impeccable character are chosen to bear the responsibility of protecting the democracy. We as law enforcement leaders know that 99 percent of what we do is protecting and serving the community. We recruit, hire, and retain those individuals that want to be guardians to our community.
