Norm Stamper, Orcas resident
By Kathy Lunde
Norm Stamper Ph.D., retired Seattle Police Chief, will be speaking at The Orcas Center Wednesday, May 22nd, 5:30pm. The general topic will be “Community Policing in the 21st Century,” focusing on The War on Drugs, Guns and Gun Violence, and Domestic Drone Use.
Now retired and living on Orcas, Mr. Stamper’s professional experience makes him uniquely qualified to speak on these subjects. While serving as the Chief of Police for the City of Seattle, he implemented a major restructuring of the organization, created a Domestic Violence program, developed numerous community advisory councils and outreach programs, and created new bureaus of Professional Responsibility, Community Policing, and Family and Youth Protection.
He previously served as the Executive Assistant Police Chief for the City of San Diego, among other significant positions with that city. Mr. Stamper holds a Ph.D. in Leadership and Human Behavior, Masters in Criminal Justice Administration, an Associate Degree in Police Science and is a graduate of the National Executive Institute, sponsored by the FBI.
Since moving to Orcas, he has been involved in the San Juan County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services Board, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Community Safety Initiative, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Death Penalty Focus.
Please join us for what promises to be an informative and lively discussion. This event is brought to you by the Orcas Island Library and the Friends of the Orcas Island Library. This is a non-ticketed event, and is free to the public.
For more information, please contact Kathleen Lunde at the Library, 376-4985 or klunde@orcaslibrary.org.
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This was, for me, an extraordinary evening. I have never known anyone in law enforcement and, being a graduate of the liberal ’60’s in New York City, and an artist, have retained the predominate attitude of that group and that era, which categorizes all members of the police force in this country as bullies and thugs. Any serious thought would expose the very serious flaws in this ill-considered stereotype, but I never really gave it the serious thought that it deserves. Listening to Norm talk about the realities confronting this body of men and women, and the relationship of that body to the communities they serve was moving and humbling. Not only do I have a greater appreciation and respect for this body of men and women, but I am awed by the thoughtfulness, sensitivity, intelligence, courage and profound humanity of this man who served in the position of highest responsibility in the police departments of two major cities and who continues to work to insert sanity, intelligence and integrity into a system that so many of us have come to fear and distrust.
Thank you, Norm, for sharing your thoughts and experiences in such a way as to inspire hope for the future of law enforcement in this country. I am especially grateful to have had my eyes opened a little bit wider to the realities of the personal experiences of men and women in this work who actually do care and who put their lives on the line everyday to accomplish the extraordinary task of keeping the peace.