Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Thumper1960
Does the "Chief" even know her assistant's job description? How does knowing that relate to investigating crime, or providing the appearance of protection for the citizens of Detroit?

I think you and others are missing the point. Why should a plebe at the United States Military Academy have to know the number of lighbulbs in the chandeliers in the dinning hall or the number of floor tiles in a particular building? While the knowledge may have little to do with military leadership, plebes are required to know all sorts of trivia and are subject to pop quizzes all the time. I would think that a basic understanding of the chain of command and who is responsible for what is something that every police academy grad ought to know if only to know it.

43 posted on 05/21/2006 6:50:03 AM PDT by Labyrinthos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]


To: Labyrinthos
I think you and others are missing the point. Why should a plebe at the United States Military Academy have to know the number of lighbulbs in the chandeliers in the dinning hall or the number of floor tiles in a particular building? While the knowledge may have little to do with military leadership, plebes are required to know all sorts of trivia and are subject to pop quizzes all the time.

The point of a military officer demonstrating an ability to absorb and retain lots of seemingly trivial bits of information is that you will never know when (what first appears to be) a trivial bit of info will make the difference between victory and getting your command exterminated

Similarly, for a street cop, being able to absorb and retain little bits of info may make the difference between living or dying ("Hey, that armored truck's security guard is not supposed to be wearing sneakers ... and didn't I remember seeing his face on the 10-most-wanted? ...")

48 posted on 05/21/2006 8:50:29 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (A planned society is most appealing to those with the arrogance to think they will be the planners)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies ]

To: Labyrinthos
Point taken.

I would submit that any, and all, police officers know the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, their particular state and local ordinances backwards and forwards. Further, they should be well versed in Federal laws, rules and regulations. They should be multi-lingual, knowledgeable in sign language, familiar with various cultural customs of those they may come in contact with in the performance of their duties, expert marksmen, competent EMT's, drug counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists, brilliant mediators of all disciplines, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

50 posted on 05/21/2006 3:26:36 PM PDT by Thumper1960 (Politicians are like diapers. They need changed often, and for the same reasons.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson