I have often heard (and told) of the power of being known. It makes all the difference in relationships and feeling like you belong. It can change who you are and how you feel about yourself. But, really, when it comes down to it, how much does it really matter?
This week, I gain some small insights on this topic from an unusual place- a neighborhood coalition meeting that I went to for work. It had the typical poke-your-eyes out meeting feel, making us sign up for committees, talking about irrelevant topics, and digressing to no end. (Did I tell you I hate when people waste my time especially in meetings?) The aim of this coalition is to reduce violence in DC's Ward 6 (where I live and work), my part is to provide education because a more educated community is a less-violent community. True story. Also present for this meeting were two police officers. The lieutenant who is in charge of our precinct stood up and spoke and here was his story.
This summer, violence was at an all-time high in our area. Without fail, there was an assault or robbery every night. The police officers noticed that 90% of these violent acts were committed by juveniles. Knowing they needed to do something, they created a youth task force, ok, it was just two officers, but it was a force to be sure. Their only job was to drive around the precinct and look for juveniles. Everyday. The two officers would stop, introduce themselves to the adolescents, and learn the kids' names. Everyday. If they saw the same teens on Monday and again on Tuesday, they would still stop them, say hello and call them by name. In a short amount of time, the officers knew the younger members of the community. And more importantly, the youth knew that the officers knew them, knew their names, and knew where they lived.
And guess what happened? The violent crimes in the area dropped by 80%. EIGHTY PERCENT fewer muggings, fewer breaking and enterings, fewer robberies, fewer cars broken into. Can you believe it? These officers didn't DO anything: they didn't break up fights, pull guns off the streets, or look for bad guys. They just got to know their neighbors, and my neighbors. That, my friends, is a strong testament to the power of being known and getting to know.