Letters to the Editor
Bukk63
Published Letters: 584 Editor's Choice: 64
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Of interest to me
[Read the article: Why are students getting Tasered on video?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A lot of people posting in this thread seem to have a lot of opinions about cops, but not much actual knowledge of cops. The guy with the friend who's a public defender is about the only person who seems to have a small clue, though he doesn't demonstrate any actual understanding of why the so-called holy trinity he mentions might exist.
Before I get into any detail let me re-state for the record that I believe the cops' actions with the student yesterday were highly unprofessional, excessive, and almost certainly unnecessary. I surmise that they were poorly trained and undisciplined.
I also add that in many police departments, sworn personnel are under-trained, most often due to financial constraints but sometimes due to departmental issues. And, yes, some cops are simply assholes and bullies.
All that said, police have to deal with realities that citizens often do not, and their training, tactics, and policies reflect those realities. First, a sworn officer on the job is at a risk of violence all the time. Second, most police departments follow a hierarchy of survival in critical situations, and the typical order of protection is as follows: police officers, citizens, suspects.
Now, people may think, "THAT'S NOT RIGHT! Citizens should come first." In practical, every day terms, a typical police officer will willingly and without thought risk their own lives to protect citizens, but the fact of the matter is a dead or critically injured cop is in not position to help anyone. The hierarchy of survival exists to help ensure the maximum possible benefit to everyone, especially citizens.
Next, cops do not fight fair. The first order of business in any volatile encounter is to win, which is defined and controlling the encounter and defusing the volatility. A lot of cops will show up at a seemingly minor encounter because you never know when something small will go big.
HOWEVER, professional departments and their officers will control encounters using an escalation path of force, with the stated goal of ALWAYS using the least amount of force necessary. Good cops are taught to talk to citizens and suspects first. They must be authoritative, respectful, but they will not take risks with their own safety or the safety of others. The goal in any situation involving the use of force is to use the minimum level necessary to control the situation. Good cops don't want to have to get physical. They don't want to have to ramp up their force response. But they also aren't going to take unnecessary chances.
What many people fail to recognize is that active police officers often have dozens of encounters a week, many with a high potential for volatility, and the vast majority of them are resolved without any level of force at all. Furthermore, cops are not out to just arrest people willy-nilly for any little affront. Arresting people is a royal pain in the ass. It takes time and pulls officers off patrol, and so they're going to use it only when necessary. I can't tell you how many times I went into encounters that could have ended with, "Thanks, sir, you can go on your way," but instead ended up with an idiot in custody and me with a mountain of useless paperwork because the suspect couldn't handle a little basic cooperation.
Now, the thing about that so-called Holy Trinity, which is probably used far less than implied in the letter presented, is that the offenders probably WERE disorderly, probably DID disturb the peace, probably DID resist the officers. Cops are not playing around here. Their jobs are dangerous, and they are not interested in taking chances. At the same time, most cops are also not interested in denying you your civil rights.
Now, sure, there are plenty of assholes with badges. Some departments have a institutional issues that have resulted in systemic negative citizen encounters. I would agree cops are somewhat more likely to have authoritarian personalities than citizens (though after being in the private sector for some time now, I'd say the difference isn't as great as many people would probably like to believe). Some departments have race issues, and on average cops are probably likely to be more politically conservative, though once again the reality is not matched by the perception.
In recent years, an increasing number of large, urban departments have moved toward a community policing model or implemented other policies designed to improve community relations, citizen encounters, and more. Even notorious departments like Los Angeles have made great strides in professionalism and community engagement. In the end, most cops want to do their jobs, and do them well. They also want to be safe doing so.
The cops in that video overreacted and their actions reflect very poorly on professional police officers everywhere. Real, well-trained cops are likely to be embarrassed by that video. We have pride in our work (even me, now years after working as a police officer).
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I actually agree with Elephantman about something
[Read the article: Protests shut clinic on opening day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Salon's 'disruptive and civilly disobedient protest' scorecard:
Cindy Sheehan = heroic.
Right to Life = quasi-criminal.
That about sums it up.
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This only reinforces my previous points
[Read the article: Was the Tasered student asking for it?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If the guy was an asshole looking for attention and was a known quantity in the community, the cops reaction is even more unprofessional.
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The internet rabble is so reliable.
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And so devoid of critical thinking and self-reflection.
You don't even have to READ the responses to a column like this to know exactly what tired, old responses are going to get wheeled out.
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This is just embarrassing
[Read the article: Number of the Day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What else is there to say?
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It's not a bad thing to fund the cemetary
[Read the article: Hey, senators, condemn this]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But it is an abomination that we continue to throw our soldiers into a pointless meat grinder. The only reason we NEED more cemetary space is because the First Occupant loves war, hates what America used to stand for, and can only get an erection when our troops are dying for oil.
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Typical
[Read the article: Hey, senators, condemn this]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Right wing loves the dead and hates the living, which explains why conseratives in this country are always so hell-bent on creating more dead people and making the lives of survivors so miserable.