What do You Want From the Police
Jun 26, 2020 12:22:42 #
A letter to the American public: Why you must decide what you want from cops If you recruit well, conduct thorough background checks and train constantly, you can have a human with a kind heart and good ethics – but you can't have perfection Jan 1, 2020
This article is reprinted with permission from The Rural Badge blog.
It's time for the American public to decide what we want from law enforcement. Warriors? Counselors? Guardians? Priests? Social workers? Magicians?
Do we want the cheapest cops possible? Or, do we want well-trained and well-screened cops who are equipped with every tool needed for every possible eventuality?
As long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. (Photo/PoliceOne)
As long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. (Photo/PoliceOne)
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Warriors vs. Guardians: A seismic shift in policing or just semantics?
Or do we want the beat cop from grandaddy's hometown, with nothing but a smile, a wheelgun and one set of cuffs?
Really, we want it all. Admit it, we do – and we want it all without paying for any of it.
Every officer needs to be an empathetic, well-spoken, SEAL-trained ninja, with double majors in psychology and social work, who considers the job a calling, and has no bills to pay, no nerves to fray, and enforces the law completely objectively while also using discretion at all times, unless it's going to result in arresting – or not arresting – the wrong person at the wrong time, for the wrong thing, in the opinion of every member of the public.
If that person existed, he wouldn't work for you. So we've got to deal with what exists, and what exists are humans.
Humans are fallible, and their bodies are frail. Their brains play tricks on them when they're under stress, and then keep them from sleeping by replaying the stressor on an endless loop later, trying to find ways to "fix" wh**ever went wrong.
Humans come in varieties, not exactly like dog breeds, but close enough that the analogy works: If you need a bite dog, you don't start with a Golden Retriever. Possibly, you can teach the Golden to bite on command, if you're persistent enough, and mean enough, but in the process, you'll ruin everything that made him a Golden to begin with.
Now t***slate that back to people.
Warriors, soldiers and great war generals like Patton may live for the fight but they don't always play well with others after the battle. They can be harsh. They can use bad language in settings where you wish they were polite. They find humor in ugly, dark places that just frighten the rest of society. They're not always...nice.
If you want only a cuddly, soft, empathetic officer whose first response is always a soft answer and compassion, you can have that. She'll never embarrass her chief at Coffee with a Cop. He'll present well on camera every time and remind you of someone's grandfather. He'll be the perfect SRO until there's an active shooter at your kid's school.
Suddenly, society insists on the warrior.
They want the demon Malinois, 55 pounds of rawhide, spring steel and gator teeth, driving into the gunfire and doing anything it takes – anything – to keep the children safe.
And once the threat is gone, society wants the Malinois to morph back into the therapy dog. They want the warrior gone, the counselor returned, the off switch thrown.
That's not how it works.
And it's not fair.
I tell you now: the unicorn doesn't exist. You can't have it. What you can have is a human.
If you recruit well, conduct thorough background checks and train constantly, you can have a human with a kind heart and good ethics who is willing to fight hard, be uncomfortable and even get hurt for you.
You can have a human who tries. You can have someone who struggles, who sometimes fails, who gets better with time and experience and who has setbacks.
But you can't have perfection. In fact, you can break perfectly good humans by insisting they be something they can't be – things no one can be.
Decide now that as long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. The rest of society is also human, after all.
Maybe it's time we decide what we want from the rest of us, too.
Next: If you are a member of the public reading this article, PoliceOne recommends you check out 15 things cops wish the public knew about policing.
About the author
Kathleen Dias writes features and news analysis on topics of concern to law enforcement professionals serving in rural and remote locations. She uses her background in writing, teaching and marketing to advocate for professional levels of training and equipment for rural officers, open channels of communication for isolated departments, and dispel myths about rural policing. She's had a front-row seat observing rural agencies – local, state and federal – from the Sierra foothills to California's notorious Emerald Triangle, for more than 30 years.
Dennis
This article is reprinted with permission from The Rural Badge blog.
It's time for the American public to decide what we want from law enforcement. Warriors? Counselors? Guardians? Priests? Social workers? Magicians?
Do we want the cheapest cops possible? Or, do we want well-trained and well-screened cops who are equipped with every tool needed for every possible eventuality?
As long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. (Photo/PoliceOne)
As long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. (Photo/PoliceOne)
RELATED ARTICLES
A letter to the American public: Why the New York water attacks matter
15 things cops wish the public knew about policing
Warriors vs. Guardians: A seismic shift in policing or just semantics?
Or do we want the beat cop from grandaddy's hometown, with nothing but a smile, a wheelgun and one set of cuffs?
Really, we want it all. Admit it, we do – and we want it all without paying for any of it.
Every officer needs to be an empathetic, well-spoken, SEAL-trained ninja, with double majors in psychology and social work, who considers the job a calling, and has no bills to pay, no nerves to fray, and enforces the law completely objectively while also using discretion at all times, unless it's going to result in arresting – or not arresting – the wrong person at the wrong time, for the wrong thing, in the opinion of every member of the public.
If that person existed, he wouldn't work for you. So we've got to deal with what exists, and what exists are humans.
Humans are fallible, and their bodies are frail. Their brains play tricks on them when they're under stress, and then keep them from sleeping by replaying the stressor on an endless loop later, trying to find ways to "fix" wh**ever went wrong.
Humans come in varieties, not exactly like dog breeds, but close enough that the analogy works: If you need a bite dog, you don't start with a Golden Retriever. Possibly, you can teach the Golden to bite on command, if you're persistent enough, and mean enough, but in the process, you'll ruin everything that made him a Golden to begin with.
Now t***slate that back to people.
Warriors, soldiers and great war generals like Patton may live for the fight but they don't always play well with others after the battle. They can be harsh. They can use bad language in settings where you wish they were polite. They find humor in ugly, dark places that just frighten the rest of society. They're not always...nice.
If you want only a cuddly, soft, empathetic officer whose first response is always a soft answer and compassion, you can have that. She'll never embarrass her chief at Coffee with a Cop. He'll present well on camera every time and remind you of someone's grandfather. He'll be the perfect SRO until there's an active shooter at your kid's school.
Suddenly, society insists on the warrior.
They want the demon Malinois, 55 pounds of rawhide, spring steel and gator teeth, driving into the gunfire and doing anything it takes – anything – to keep the children safe.
And once the threat is gone, society wants the Malinois to morph back into the therapy dog. They want the warrior gone, the counselor returned, the off switch thrown.
That's not how it works.
And it's not fair.
I tell you now: the unicorn doesn't exist. You can't have it. What you can have is a human.
If you recruit well, conduct thorough background checks and train constantly, you can have a human with a kind heart and good ethics who is willing to fight hard, be uncomfortable and even get hurt for you.
You can have a human who tries. You can have someone who struggles, who sometimes fails, who gets better with time and experience and who has setbacks.
But you can't have perfection. In fact, you can break perfectly good humans by insisting they be something they can't be – things no one can be.
Decide now that as long as cops get recruited from the human race, they're going to be exactly human, with everything that means. The rest of society is also human, after all.
Maybe it's time we decide what we want from the rest of us, too.
Next: If you are a member of the public reading this article, PoliceOne recommends you check out 15 things cops wish the public knew about policing.
About the author
Kathleen Dias writes features and news analysis on topics of concern to law enforcement professionals serving in rural and remote locations. She uses her background in writing, teaching and marketing to advocate for professional levels of training and equipment for rural officers, open channels of communication for isolated departments, and dispel myths about rural policing. She's had a front-row seat observing rural agencies – local, state and federal – from the Sierra foothills to California's notorious Emerald Triangle, for more than 30 years.
Dennis
Jun 26, 2020 12:35:57 #
Jun 26, 2020 12:50:16 #
There’s been a lot written recently about the t***sformation of the Camden , NJ police department. Camden had one of the highest crime rates in the United States but seems to have been very successful re-inventing the police.
Jun 26, 2020 12:54:54 #
I'm not making a judgment about comments, but how is this content related even remotely to upcoming photography topics?
Jun 26, 2020 13:01:48 #
GES wrote:
I'm not making a judgment about comments, but how is this content related even remotely to upcoming photography topics?
I was thinking about this also...it happens at times. I don’t know how topics get posted but I wonder if it’s up to the OP to designate the “home” for the post...or does Admin do this? It seems like this particular post qualifies for “General Chit-chat”.
Jun 26, 2020 13:02:07 #
GES wrote:
I'm not making a judgment about comments, but how is this content related even remotely to upcoming photography topics?
This section of the UHH Forum is called, The Attic. It is basically for political discussions or such discussions that become heated and are never about photographic subjects.
I suspect you are in the wrong section from where you want to be my friend. You are of course welcome to comment if you choose.
Dennis
Jun 26, 2020 13:04:50 #
Dannj wrote:
I was thinking about this also...it happens at times. I don’t know how topics get posted but I wonder if it’s up to the OP to designate the “home” for the post...or does Admin do this? It seems like this particular post qualifies for “General Chit-chat”.
I had originally submitted this post to the General Chit Chat section thinking it was something everyone might be interested in. I did not foresee any problems from others. Yet I was just informed by Admin that he had moved the post to The Attic. Again, not my choice but we members are at the mercy of wh**ever Admin feels is correct.
Most likely the post will not be seen by those who might be interested in commenting.
Dennis
Jun 26, 2020 13:14:42 #
Jun 26, 2020 13:17:50 #
Harry0
Loc: Gardena, Cal
Fotoartist wrote:
Blue l***s m****r as much as everyone else's.
But not really more than us Americans. Right?
Jun 26, 2020 13:20:33 #
Harry0 wrote:
But not really more than us Americans. Right?
Of course that is not what he said in any form but how could we expect a Liberal from La La Land to understand anything but lies for the Democratic agenda.
As much as does not equal MORE. A pity you can't understand that.
Dennis
Jun 26, 2020 13:36:54 #
Jun 26, 2020 18:46:50 #
couch coyote
Loc: northern Illinois
I'm seeing this in General Chit-Chat, where I think it belongs. I wish everyone in America could read it. We can't expect police to be all things to all people, unless we can absolutely say that we are capable of being all things to all people. (I'm not. And if you say that, I don't believe you.) Passing this along.
Jun 26, 2020 19:15:38 #
Dannj wrote:
There’s been a lot written recently about the t***sformation of the Camden , NJ police department. Camden had one of the highest crime rates in the United States but seems to have been very successful re-inventing the police.
The benefit of doubt would be good...
Oh! And not to fire their weapon unless fired upon.
Jun 26, 2020 22:59:45 #
RixPix wrote:
The benefit of doubt would be good...
Oh! And not to fire their weapon unless fired upon.
Oh! And not to fire their weapon unless fired upon.
If you had any LEO experience or even common sense you would realize the foolishness of your second suggestion. Let’s say a cop waited to be fired at before firing. The criminal’s first shot hits the officer and k**ls him. Too bad So sad for the cop, huh?
An officer stops a vehicle for speeding. He has no way of knowing the driver just held up a bank, liquor store, raped an 80 year old invalid woman, is a child molester and has a kidnapped 4 year old girl in the back seat. You make up your own scenario. As the officer walks up to the vehicle the driver quickly exits and points a gun at the officer. This happens fairly frequently. Now you just said the officer is not to fire unless fired upon.
Are you really that dense, at a loss for a brain, what??? Would you seriously put yourself in that position? I doubt it. Yet you expect every officer in America to put himself or herself in that position.
The respect I never had for you just dropped to 100% less.
Dennis
Jun 27, 2020 09:04:20 #
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