S4E1 | Calling All Cars: The Hetty Group’s Florence Chung Builds Bridges Between Police, Business, Communities

“The question is going to be how police departments carry out these reforms. Corporations and businesses can offer a lot of unique expertise to help the policing profession with the how. We can take what corporations are doing well right now...and transfer these skills from the business world to the policing world.”

- Florence Chung

Florence Chung, chief engagement officer of The Hetty Groups, speaks with LRN’s Ben DiPietro about her work to encourage dialogue between police departments, companies, and communities.

She talks about the seven root causes of police misconduct, why good police remain loyal to those who break the rules, and what companies can teach police about management to help them bring about the necessary changes to their cultures and policies.

Florence Chung is the chief engagement officer of The Hetty Group, a community engagement strategy firm. She has 20 years of experience at the intersection of law enforcement and the community, and has created multiple cross-sector partnership and engagement initiatives for organizations, including Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Ross Dress for Less, and Target.

She has launched three new police foundations in partnership with business leaders and police departments to create platforms for community engagement in public safety. This work led her to create Police Foundation Partners, a Hetty Group initiative that provides support and resources to a national network of police foundations to help them become the most effective bridge between communities and police for enhanced public safety.

She’s served on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Police Foundation, New York City Police Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers and the University of Southern California’s Asian American Alumni Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

What You’ll Learn on This Episode:

[1:55] What has her career path looked like and how has she found herself at The Hetty Groups?

[3:45] What are the seven root causes that effect policing and how do they frame the debate over police in the U.S.?

[7:50] If there are so many good police officers, why do they remain silent when it only serves to put them at risk more?

[10:36] How does current police culture halt reform and what actions can police departments take to enforce reform?

[12:22] How does having access to military equipment exacerbate the problems with police culture?

[14:30] Can the Camden, N.J. police reform be used as a model for police reform across the U.S.?

[17:24] What role can businesses and institutions play in joining the dialogue that’s going to be needed to create change?

[20:16] What are some skills companies can share with police departments?

[23:48] How did a conversation with Millennials and Gen Z unfold, and how does she view the voice of youth in this dialogue?

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