...it's sad when politics and entitlement reach this forum. I'll not apologize for my opinion or what is to follow in this comment as I've read many opinions in this thread that I obviously don't understand. That being said, I've worked in law enforcement for nearly 20 years now. Over a decade of that time was spent on third shift, 8 yrs as tac team entry member, 5 yrs K9 by my choice. I now work in Police Administration and one of my main roles within the agency is to mitigate liability and develop policy. I no longer work in patrol, but I can certainly speak from experience and for those that I represent. All of that being said, I challenge any member of this forum to go ride with their local police department to get just a sampling of what these ppl deal with on a daily basis. It's extremely easy to pass judgement when two things are paramount factors in your opinion....1) You know absolutely nothing about law enforcement and tactics 2) You weren't there...
Obviously there are ppl who are in law enforcement who should have never been placed in a position of authority for many reasons. As with ANY profession, there are bad apples. Statistically there are more clergy charged with sex abuse than there are Cops charged with misconduct (less than 1%). I know many men and women in this field who have sacrificed professionally, personally, and physically. The thing most don't think about is what their families sacrifice...so they can protect a society that now abhors them. Here's the funny thing, it doesn't matter to them...they will keep on doing it because they understand that honor is obtained through sacrifice. I've always chosen this profession because I want my children to be proud of what their father did with his life, the sad thing is these days I'm afraid they're embarrassed by the negative attention the profession automatically attracts.
Col David Grossman said it best in his article "On sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves" when he compares the role law enforcement plays in society to sheepdogs protecting their flock..
"The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.”
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones."
It's disappointing to hear folks pass judgement based on what the news media and other socio-politic groups tell them. Any good cop will tell you, even the grizzled veterans, that we draw our authority from society and what society allows. Every time I "read" or "hear" ppl make generalized statements regarding what one cop did (or didn't) do, I'm reminded of how other groups of people become offended by that behavior...
It's sad that the relationship between law enforcement has eroded to the point it has, but one thing I Know...it's not because of anything I or the ppl I work with have personally done (or the 99.4% of the rest of law enforcement in this country). Think for yourself..exercise common sense. To the Officers who are members of this forum, thank you for what you do and the sacrifices that you chose to make and that your families have made so you can do the job.
"Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself.
The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?"
- William J. Bennett
In a lecture to the United States Naval Academy
November 24, 1997
