The good our cops do
I’ll continue to do my job, but that is all. I refuse to be a punching bag for the public and the press. Why should I do anything other than the bare minimum? If I make even the slightest mistake my career, my savings…. and even my freedom are in jeopardy.
— Anonymous post on an Internet message board frequented by police officers in the St. Louis, MO, area.
TSince the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson, Missouri, last fall, many anti-police protests — some of which were quite violent — erupted across America. These escalating demonstrations were then further inflamed by the death of Eric Garner while scuffling with police in New York City some weeks later. But they had largely dissipated prior to Walter Scott’s shooting in North Charleston. Despite the fact that the officer was arrested and charged in the Scott tragedy, public anger and intense distrust of the police continue to run very high in some areas.
On this side of the border, we have been blessed with much less public criticism of our police officers, thankfully, although we haven’t been without the odd blemish over the years — some deserved, others not.
I fully understand the media attention to all of these events, and completely agree that the police need to be accountable for their actions, through transparent investigative and judicial processes. At times, however, the media coverage is excessively speculative, and seems to rub salt into the open wounds the involved police departments are nursing.
These kind of events we’re discussing here are awful. The public deserves full clarity through legitimate and transparent investigations. But 24/7 coverage of interviews of a million so-called experts — many of whom have personal agendas — do little but convince the untrained observer that the police do nothing right, ever.
Policing is a dangerous business. So are many privatesector jobs, such as working in steel mills, and on construc- tion sites, but in those vocations, no worker is ever hurt or killed deliberately. In addition to the threat of violence police officers face, it seems that they can often do nothing right in the minds of a number of people and specific groups.
But despite the constant criticism, the inherent risks and the apparent see-saw of public, media and political support, the vast majority of police officers want to protect communities, want to prevent crimes and tragedies, want to reduce victimization, want to save lives, want to solve crimes and put bad people away. No police officer in the free world goes to work hoping he or she gets to take someone’s life during their shift. At the same time no police officer wants to go to work to be a punching bag either.
I worry that some police officers will turn this constant criticism and unrest into a siege mentality, an “us vs. them” environment will help absolutely no one. In some U.S. communities, that may already be the current reality. The other alternative that scares me is police officers hesitating to use force out of fear that it will impact their career, and then dying because of that hesitation.
Some of these sentiments are brewing strongly on police blogs and have been for months. And this is not just a concern of U.S. police officers. Canadian police officers are having similar discussions on this side of the border.
How many officers across the continent are feeling that way? Do they feel they are only one public interaction away from an onslaught of negative media coverage, job suspension, hiring a lawyer and career suicide?
Basketball legend Charles Barkley went on record to defend the police in an interview last fall, saying: “The notion that white cops are out there just killing black people — that’s ridiculous. That’s just flat-out ridiculous.” He added, “Cops are actually awesome. They are the only thing in the ghetto between this place being the wild, wild west.” Barkley went on to say, “… There’s no excuse for those people burning down their houses and setting the police cars on fire.” Well said.
There is so much good that police across this continent do for the communities that they serve — on duty and off, for people of all creeds and colours. Sadly, to some, all of that has been forgotten as these allegations of excessive force and racism get pushed and violence is incited. Barkley is right. What would some communities look like if it wasn’t for the police?
I began my policing career in the 1970s, assuming I’d be chasing killers and getting into spectacular adventures. I quickly found out that wasn’t reality, but I did still enjoy a career of helping people, with the occasional hair-raising exploit woven therein. Police officers are often coaches, mentors, volunteers and service club members in their communities when off duty. While at work they are helping children, assisting seniors, cooking meals for homeless people, working at community events, raising funds for charity and so much more ... when they’re not out protecting property, preventing crime and saving lives, that is.
That’s not to say that police don’t get it wrong, that crimes aren’t committed by those in uniform and that tragedies don’t happen. I wish I could say that, but I can’t. But there are thousands of officers out there on the streets of this continent, right now, doing their best to keep you and your family safe. For too many of them, it’s getting harder and harder to remember why.
Law enforcement is a dangerous job. Yes, many jobs are dangerous. But who but police are ever hurt or killed deliberately while at work?
McArthur: ‘In Japan’s major cities they have artfully integrated the physical presence of their police within local communities.’