Why be a volunteer victim?

Why be a Volunteer Victim?   
By: Joel E. Gordon

“Worlds are colliding!” - George Costanza (Character from the TV comedy show “Seinfeld”)

Maybe sometimes the reason something fails to work out for the best as one would hope and often expect is more aptly about worlds colliding as portrayed in the 1995 episode of the television comedy “Seinfeld” entitled “The Pool Guy”.

UrbanDictionary.com describes the Worlds Collide Theory as: A theory which states that a man must keep his personal life (i.e. friends) separate from his relationship side (i.e. girlfriend). Should the two worlds come into contact with each other (by means of his girlfriend becoming friends with his friends), both worlds blow up. "If Relationship George walks through that door, he will kill Independent George! A George divided against itself, cannot stand!" - George Costanza

It would seem as though the “Worlds Collide Theory” has some practical applications beyond those of interpersonal relationships. Here are two examples:

MOVING DAY

As I read the news headline “Baltimore Newcomer Carjacked, Attacked” it reminded me of some observations that I made as a 1980s Baltimore city police officer.

I can remember some 1980s-style “yuppies” pulling in front of their new home in a high-crime area. The beautiful mansions of an era gone by were laden with gold inlay work among the ornate hand-carved woodwork. Purchased for pennies on the dollar these young new homeowners seemed oblivious as to why the value of these homes had been so drastically diminished and seemed to be unaware of the hazards of their new surroundings. They parked their shiny new Volvo in front of their new abode, proudly displaying their valuable possessions along the sidewalk as the moving van unloaded. Predictably, within their first week of living in this crime-infested environment they experienced the inevitable burglary and theft of items. Area law enforcement officers considered them to be “volunteer victims.”

RESIDENT OFFICER

When I became a Baltimore city police officer in 1980, I was required to sign an agreement stating that I would become and remain a Baltimore city resident within nine months of and for the duration of my employment. In fact, I did become a Baltimore city resident shortly thereafter, moving into my first apartment after moving out of my parents’ home which was located in the Baltimore county suburbs. It only took a few months before someone attempted a break-in through a rear first-floor window to my apartment bedroom. I was home at the time as the perpetrator was scared off by my 70-pound Doberman-shepherd mixed-breed dog. I was awakened by the perpetrator who had absconded through a wooded area never to be located. Fortunately, the agreement that I and others had been required to sign was deemed null and void as it had been declared an unlawful requirement for police employment within the State of Maryland. Before long, I would buy my first home in rural and soon to become suburban, Harford County, Maryland, a full 14 miles north of Baltimore’s beltway and about 25 miles from the city police station to which I reported to roll call.

Today, it is said that only about 20 percent of Baltimore city’s sworn officers live within the city limits. Current Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young, then-City Council president regrettably criticized cops earning city dollars while living in counties by saying, “They’re raping the city.”

Days later, after making that public decree, police said a Baltimore city officer was alone and sleeping in his home in the neighborhood of his northeast Baltimore city residence when a suspect broke into the officer’s home. In this case, the armed burglary suspect was fatally shot by the awakened off-duty police officer. Fortunately, the officer, who was home alone at the time, was not injured.

The deceased suspect had a long criminal record and previously had been flagged as one of “the state’s most dangerous supervisees” by state parole and probation officials. He was due in court two days after his death for violating probation in connection with past crimes including convictions for armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and car theft, but had repeatedly avoided significant prison time. That was despite repeatedly violating his probation.

Although there is a case to be made for law enforcement officers residing within some of the higher-crime jurisdictions that they serve, the question of risk versus reward remains. In my case, the balance between my desire to help those residing in a violent high-crime area balanced well with my need to reside in a calmer setting to be at my best and refreshed for duty.

Perhaps the idea of worlds colliding offers valuable insight into reasons why sometimes discretion is the better part of valor and why the case can be made for why one should not knowingly become a volunteer victim then or now.