Posted on 07/06/2020 7:42:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As a former policeman, I know America’s law enforcement officers have hard jobs. They make tough decisions in high-pressure situations, sometimes with life and death consequences. We need to ensure they’re well trained, trustworthy, and of sound character. We also need laws and rules of conduct that encourage the best outcomes, and we can’t ask them to do the impossible. Now is the right time to re-examine whether we’re accomplishing this.
When I left field and orchard work at the age of 19, I was fortunately entrusted with helping to guarantee public safety — first as a radio dispatcher and later a police officer in Toppenish, Washington. I still carry fond memories of the camaraderie inherent in the job, the sense of achievement in solving crimes, and the satisfaction in seeing justice achieved on behalf of victims. My father and mother proudly attended the ceremony the day I graduated from the police academy.
When I first completed the academy, I rode with a training officer, observing and learning. In the first few months of police work, some of the things I saw bothered me. Patrol units were encouraged to keep a close watch on taverns frequented by Latinos, and drivers departing at closing time were stopped regularly.
On its face, that sounds like a good idea as a way to prevent drunk driving. Unfortunately, we were discouraged from keeping watch at taverns frequented mostly by white customers. As a result, Latinos were cited for driving under the influence in much higher numbers than their white counterparts. I observed as fellow officers responding to an altercation were quick to book Latino offenders, while citing and releasing white offenders — or even allowing them to “walk it off” after confessing to assault.
I genuinely admired and respected the police chief, my boss and a good man who recognized the value of adding an officer who could improve outreach to the city’s growing Hispanic community. I told him it was in his power to change these inequities. I didn’t ask for tougher treatment of the public based on their skin color, nor did I ask for more lenient treatment. I requested that it be equitable.
He responded positively and made changes to the department policy manual regarding equal treatment under the law, changes that were well received by my colleagues. The situation improved when officers made a more determined effort to treat everyone impartially.
A two-tiered system of enforcement — wherein punishments disproportionately affect the less affluent — hurts communities, building resentment among the people the police are charged with protecting. The answer isn’t to eliminate law enforcement. That would guarantee lawlessness and predation of innocents. We need proper leadership to make effective change.
What does that change look like? Many ideas are being put forward, and we need policymakers to engage in an open debate that leads us to the best ones. But these three will move us in the right direction.
1. Transform police culture. Most police officers and law enforcement leaders across the country — people who risk their lives to serve and protect their communities — know that use-of-force policies must change. They are also rightly frustrated that many police union agreements protect bad actors from facing the consequences of their decisions.
2. Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity, a judge-made law that prevents law enforcement officials who violate people’s constitutional rights from being held accountable for their actions. We must also reform the federal 1033 program that encourages police to treat communities like militarized combat zones rather than shared neighborhoods.
3. Eliminate unnecessary criminalization. As a society, we’ve aggressively criminalized behaviors we’d like to see less of, without considering the ramifications. We don’t even require adequate intent standards when charging and convicting people. Over the past 40 years, we’ve added 300,000 federal crimes to the enforcement burden that police officers carry, making the job far more difficult. We must enact robust federal and state overcriminalization reform.
The vast majority of the nation’s police take on this risky assignment because they are committed to keeping Americans safe, regardless of their skin color or other characteristics. They deserve laws that make sense, processes that help them succeed, and a system that allows them to focus on real threats to public safety.
For #1. ALL PUBLIC UNIONS protect their bad apples. How about banning public unions?
For #2. Police, just doing their job, will be hit with lawsuit after lawsuit to bankrupt them personally.
For #3. The police don’t CREATE the law. They enforce it. The police can’t change the law.
All excellent points!
In both agencies I have worked for, and subsequently retired from (I am older than dirt now. Divorces are expensive!) , NO ONE ever suggested a race be targeted. I call BS on this.
Police are in those communities because the crime rates are higher and they get called there more frequently. Makes sense you would focus proactive enforcement where crime occurs most to reduce victimization.
Ban all no knock raids. They simply don’t need to exist.
End all special protections. Really we give cops equipment and training and hold them LESS responsible, that’s just stupid.
Fire anybody that talks about the thin blue line. That’s a mentality the divides the world into cops and scum and encourages cops to be crappy to civilians.
stop allowing just anyone who passes a civil service test to be a cop
I’ve met some who are complete assholes- and there is NOTHING WORSE than an asshole with a badge.
“We need to ensure they’re well trained, trustworthy, and of sound character. “
All very good points.
Also, if ANY cop uses the term “Civilian” when speaking about people in the community, FIRE them too.
“Peace Officer” & “Citizen” should be used.
For the only VERY FEW non-citizens that should be allowed at any one time, sorry about it, but become a citizen when your time is ready, or GTFO!
RE: “We need to ensure they’re well trained, trustworthy, and of sound character. “
My suggestion -— if a police officer has had 3 or more justified civilian complaint filed against him, he should be taken out of patrolling and sent back to training school.
1) transform police culture. This one is really bull___t
If anything as a police officer other cultures cause most of the problems, lack of fathers, permissive matriarchal homes, drug culture etc.
1) should be, transform ghetto and racial cultures.
2)Remove civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity.
Once again bull___t.
Why would anyone do a job where you are sent to violent encounters and you are just a citizen getting involved and can be personally sued just for showing up.
3) Eliminate unnecessary criminalization.
3 is biggest bull___t of all.
Police Officers go by a criminal code, weather its a City Code , Count Code or State but all come under the U.S. Constitution and all Laws are regulated by the courts.
Dump laws that your activists don’t agree with or you feel are targeting minorities and you just legitimatize crime in areas hardest hit by crime.
This guy isn’t a cop he’s just another social justice hire that joined a P.D. to “advance economic freedom in the Hispanic community.” as he tells it.
Yup, public unions must be outlawed.
In addition to what you have stated, I believe cops need regulars beats outside of the cars when possible. They need to know the people on their beats and vice-versa.
“For #3. The police don’t CREATE the law. They enforce it. The police can’t change the law.”
They don’t have to enforce bad laws.
Solution for #2: End (or limit) qualified immunity, but also institute loser pays for civil suits against peace officers. If the plaintiff in a civil suit must pay for the defense costs of the defendant, only the most egregious cases will be litigated. Most plaintiffs are unable to pay their own legal fees up front and rely on some contingency-fee arrangement with their attorney. If the defendant’s attorney not only faced the risk of zero compensation in the event that the case went to trial and lost, but also the cost of the defendant’s legal fees, only the strongest of cases would be undertaken.
#1 isn’t all bullshit....the “warrior cop” ethos is a huge detriment and is key to building the “us versus them” mentality a lot of police officers have adopted over recent years.
This is what liability insurance and vest cameras are for. Get enough judgements against you and you become uninsurable, so you find some other job to do, like physicians who have multiple judgements against them. They become uninsurable. Why should police be any different?
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