Episode 39: ”Listening to Comprehend, Instead of Listening to Respond” with guest Sgt. Isaiah Ruffin

We are excited to welcome Sergeant Isaiah Ruffin of Clayton PD to the show! At YFO, we believe that the future of police reform and the change the community and industry are seeking will be led by the leaders in the building now that are working toward building mutual trust. We believe in Officer Millennial, Officer Gen Z and Officer Future. Change is happening, and Sgt. Ruffin is a great example of current leadership in organizations that understand this moment and know their work is about customer service and building trust. We welcome you to listen to this important conversation about creating change and training the next generation of police officers.

After telling us about his background and the unique story of how he became a police officer, we dive into a discussion about how Sgt. Ruffin feels as a Black male police officer and the changes he wants to make for the future of law enforcement. He emphasizes the importance of active listening, patience, and effective communication for other officers trying to navigate this moment, especially when dealing with defensive or reactive people in the field. Sgt. Ruffin explains how he works to “be the change I want to see” as he sets an example to mend the relationship between law enforcement and the community, while also training the next generation of police officers. We close out the show by discussing the complaint process, and encouraging all community members to file complaints when necessary and to have the tough conversations about policing with all people.

 

More about Isaiah Ruffin
Isaiah Ruffin has been in law enforcement for 21 years, and is currently a Police Officer for the Town of Clayton, NC. He started his career in 2000 as a Patrol Officer at Crabtree Valley Mall. Crabtree sponsored Isaiah to go through Basic Law Enforcement Training to become a police officer while still employed with them. He was later hired by Selma Police Department in Johnston County, NC, and assigned to the Patrol Division, where he worked for 5 years. He then moved to the Clayton Police Department where he has been for the last 16 years. While with Clayton he has worked in Patrol, Community Policing, Narcotics, K9, and Swat, before getting promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As Sergeant, he has been in charge of a patrol squad and is currently assigned to the Traffic Unit and Park Police. Isaiah holds numerous law enforcement certificates, including Field Training Officer, First Line Supervision and an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate.