Shifting Mindsets: Officer Toby Plucinski
The root of our work, the root of restorative justice lies within the willingness of everyone to open their minds to a different way of doing things. What sets Longmont Community Justice Partnership apart from other agencies is the fact that we are working directly with Police Officers. We have been witness to the change of perspective that takes place when Officers explore how Restorative Justice is different from the traditional justice system.
Officer Toby Plucinski is one of those Officers.
Officer Plucinski can’t identify a tangible “ah-ha” moment when his perception shifted. Officer Plucinksi was an ardent supporter of the crime control model mindset, a perspective that is in direct contrast to Restorative Justice. At first, he was hesitant to participate in the process, concerned that there would be no real consequences for those who had done harm. However, his mindset swiftly changed when he was a part of his first Restorative Justice case.
“I saw how the victim and the offender connected in a way I hadn’t seen before. I realized the opportunity for the victim to be heard, which was a foreign concept. And the officer involved with that first case connected with these kids in a way that would never happen in a traditional process. This is a way I can help kids become better.”
Officer Plucinski started making his own referrals, advocating often for Restorative Justice over ticketing. One of his most memorable cases displays the transformative effect of our processes on everyone involved, but in particular a young responsible person.
Two girls decided to play fight but what ended up happening was the playing devolved and turned into a very real altercation. One of the girls had been in trouble frequently, but no one had ever made a referral to Restorative Justice for her. The young girl was struggling in school and at home. It seemed at every turn she was facing difficulties, with no one seeing what she really needed. Another officer pressured Officer Plucinski to simply give her a ticket and be done, but he knew that wouldn’t solve the root of the issue. Officer Plucinski decided it was time to refer her to RJ, knowing that it would change her and her perspective, that she deserved that chance.
“Through the traditional system parents just pay the fine. With RJ you see something more. And we know the reality is that most of those who go through RJ never offend again. That was the aha moment. This is actually something I can use to make a difference.”
Rather than getting a ticket, the RJ process starts. Longmont Community Justice Partnership uses contract items to hold responsible people accountable. These contract items are meant to use the strengths or needs of the person in order to support their growth. This young person’s contract item was to show up to school, something she had been struggling with. Now that she is coming to school she hasn’t gotten in trouble. Officer Plucinski saw the need and did what he could do to fulfill that unmet need, and help her to realize she has a system of support and strong relationships that she can rely on.
LCJP is incredibly thankful for the tireless work that our SRO’s are doing for the community. In highlighting these stories and their voices, we hope to create a dialogue around the importance of increasing Restorative Justice in schools and how vital the work that Restorative Justice trained SRO’s are doing.
Donate below to widen the impact that Restorative Justice has on our community, and to support SRO’s like Officer Plucinski in the work of creating a culture of caring and seeing the world a little differently. Help us get Restorative Justice in more schools throughout our community!
