If you think a group of older reporters could be a cynical lot, you’re right. Being on both the inside and outside of stories can give you a jaded perspective at times.

I can assure you that in the meeting area used by Hampden Country District Attorney Anthony Gulluni last week when he announced his findings in the police shooting of Orlando Taylor III, every person was affected by the video the DA presented.

The body camera and Ring doorbell footage assembled to show what happened earlier this month was terrible to watch. It truly affected me.

I cannot imagine the anguish and grief of the Taylor family to see this video. He was the Springfield resident who was killed by a police officer after he stabbed an officer in the face and neck and who was charging to attack once more.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni called the entire incidence a tragedy and he’s right. Hearing a family member scream as the event took place was heart-breaking.

The shooting has renewed calls for a greater emphasis on how events such as this one could be prevented. Reportedly, Taylor was suffering from mental illness and the issue here as well as across the country is how the police and communities can prevent harm to all parties in these cases.

There have been calls to “defund” the police. That is a very unfortunate word as its obscures the nature of reform and instead lights a political and social bomb. What I wish people would do is to say we need to examine what are the primary duties of police and how they are trained and prepared for those duties.

Police officers are literally called for everything. Ask any officer about the types of duties they are asked to perform and I’m sure you will be surprised. For some people the first reaction is to call the police.
I’ve concluded the police don’t need to be “defunded,” but rather we actually have to examine what are their primary responsibilities. We then need to rebuild a support system for police in order for them to focus on primary responsibilities.

Now if you decide that I’m anti-police by stating this opinion, you obviously don’t understand the English language.

The two officers in Springfield were doing their jobs in addressing someone who was posing a threat to others and himself. They answered the call with no backup and little context. They were doing their jobs as they were trained.

Again, this is not a criticism, but an acknowledgment of the difficult jobs police have. And this is not a way to excuse criminal behavior made by officers, which we have seen all too often.
Instead, it is simply an effort to provide the kind of protection and assistance we now require in the 21st Century.

This effort shouldn’t be political as it has become in some quarters. This is not an attack on police. Times and society have changed and institutions such as the police must change as well.

This terrible incident also points out two conclusions. The first is the value of body cameras. We have a much better understanding of what happened because of the video evidence. This protects the public and the officers. Every department should have body cameras.

Second, it’s important in these situations that the district attorney conduct a transparent investigation, which I believe DA Gulluni did.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has been criticized by having a press conference before Gulluni even started his review of the evidence. While Sarno has been an advocate for the police, in this case it would have been more prudent to allow the DA to complete his job before commenting.

We all want safe communities. We all want police departments with officers who not only have been given the necessary training but also have support mechanisms that can help them complete their tasks. This is the time to truly examine how to make policing better.