As a long-serving Gang Unit officer, Irving (Texas) Police Department (IPD) Jonathan Plunkett was well aware of poverty’s corrosive influence on young people. He was equally familiar with the anger and distrust of police it often generated. He knew that improving communication between the IDP and minority communities could help overcome this problem and increase awareness of department programs that could benefit these youths and their families.

But, few people in the city’s minority communities knew about or took advantage of these resources, so IPD’s relations with them were not as good as they could have been.

Officer Plunkett realized that he and other officers had to build personal relationships to address this problem. And as an African American man, he knew the best place to do that: the barbershop.

For many African Americans, barbershops are community centers, where people go not only for haircuts but also to socialize. In this environment, where customers feel comfortable sharing concerns and engaging in conversation, Plunkett felt sure that he and other officers could earn the community’s trust.

51 Shops in Five Cities

In 2016, Officer Plunkett introduced this idea—which he called Shop Talk—to Aaron Magee, owner of an Irving barbershop, and asked whether he and other officers could visit in uniform. Magee liked the idea and Assistant Chief Jeff Spivey enthusiastically agreed to support it. Since then, Shop Talk has expanded to include 51 Texas barbershops, 10 of which are in Hispanic communities. Thirty participating shops are in Irving, and the rest are in Dallas, Fort Worth, and four other Texas cities.

According to shop owners, their customers, and police in these cities, the program has had far-ranging positive effects. In addition to building relationships with people that the departments could not reach through traditional means, Shop Talk has helped to enhance the safety and overall quality of life in areas surrounding the barbershops. Said Officer Plunkett, “Customers ask, ‘Why haven’t you been doing this all along?’ And now barbers who’ve heard about Shop Talk are asking us to come into their shops too.”

Mutual Understanding through Wide-Ranging Discussions

Asked how it works, he said, “It’s a simple concept. One or two officers visit barbershops or hair salons whose owners agree to welcome them. The officers usually go while on patrol, but may drop in at other times too. The visits are unannounced and last from 15 minutes to an hour. They shoot the breeze with the owners and customers, talking about sports, current events, and other things. Police events and topics come up sometimes too. Especially about George Floyd. Teenagers especially have a have a lot of questions. Mostly about our equipment, but also about procedures. They ask questions like, ‘Why can’t you just shoot people in the leg or arm?’ So we explain why we do what we do. Sometimes they don’t like our answers; sometimes they say, ‘That makes sense.’”

A Simple Concept with Far-Reaching Benefits

“The program is very educational, both for the community and the police,” added Officer Plunkett. “They learn about us, and we learn about them. We also hear what’s going on in the neighborhood. I’ve gotten calls from Irving shop owners about situations. We also get tips. I learned about drug dealing in one shop’s area; after investigating, we recovered guns as well as drugs. We also arrested a robbery suspect based on information a customer gave us and broke up a human trafficking ring with a tip from someone else. But we’re not doing this to develop informants. Shop owners give us information because they don’t want trouble near their shops. What’s important is that they and their customers are now benefiting from things the department has been offering for years. Because we’re taking it all directly to them.”

Shop Talk Brings the Programs to the People

Though the basis for the Shop Talk is informal visits and conversation, Officer Plunkett also arranges programs and events at the barbershops in Irving.

To support these programs and events, in 2018 he reached out to One CommunityUSA®. A nonprofit organization that helps first responders and community stakeholders build programs to address safety and other critical social issues, One CommunityUSA has provided funds for a wide variety of needs, including Thanksgiving turkeys for shop owners to give away and children’s gifts for Blue Christmas parties. They also arrange donations from other organizations for events such as block parties and provide planning support. With their help, Officer Plunkett and his team have brought a wide range of IPD programs to Irving establishments, ranging from a class on domestic violence to Back-to-School Days, in which they gave out school supplies. IPD also hosts quarterly luncheons with the chief for all of the barbershop owners in the Shop Talk program. In February, the luncheon celebrated Black History month with food donated by Chick-fil-A.

Advice for Starting a Shop Talk

“Other police departments are coming to us now, asking if we and One CommunityUSA will meet with their chiefs to talk about setting up the program,” said Officer Plunkett.

“If they ask for advice, I tell them that the department must get buy-in from command staff and choose officers who are good at building relationships and will visit the shops regularly. Lieutenants, captains, even the chief should also drop by on occasion. I also suggest inviting the mayor and city officials to events—shop owners love that. Start with one or two shops, and don’t be discouraged by rejection. One owner, who was initially concerned that having cops in his shop would be bad for business, is now so enthusiastic that he posts about Shop Talk on his Instagram and Facebook accounts. There must be an officer in charge of coordinating the visits, setting up events, and finding funding, someone who people can also contact if there’s an issue. Since that person needs to be constantly overseeing things, it should be a line officer, not someone with a lot of command functions.”

One CommunityUSA’s Role

“Getting the local community behind the program is important,” Officer Plunkett adds. “Ask organizations such as your Chamber of Commerce and faith groups for support. Reach out to One CommunityUSA too.”

A One CommunityUSA representative can meet with police department leaders to discuss best practices for operating the program. Though the departments manage their local Shop Talk programs, One CommunityUSA helps with fundraising. They also set up seminars on domestic abuse in participating shops. And a One CommunityUSA representative visits the shops regularly to ensure that the program is performing optimally.

With their support and the backing of the IPD, Officer Plunkett has expanded not only the geographic reach of Shop Talk but also the program itself. The department recently brought on a mental health professional who volunteers her time to attend the quarterly luncheons with shop owners and talk to them about issues customers bring up.

“Many people tell their problems to stylists and barbers,” Officer Plunkett said. “Now, if they hear about serious issues from a customer, they know somebody they can turn to for advice and information about resources. Shop Talk opens doors for people in the African American and Latino communities, people who usually don’t even know about these programs, resources, and support. Now they do and are enjoying the benefits. So are we.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

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