America…what kind of cops do you want?
/By: Ken Dye
The police, who have been wrongfully associated with bigotry and racism, are not thought-processed robots or automatons. They’re men and women from your city or town. They live down the street from you and your family.
Police often see the worst of people, at their worst. They have been trained to soothe a tense situation to de-escalate and maintain the peace. One must realize that it takes two parties to de-escalate. Officers may attend to a battered wife, but you best not attempt to take the abuser into custody. Maybe this is one of those incidents that will make the evening or late news with no backstory.
In San Francisco, a city that’s infested with drugs, addicts, homeless and a police department paralyzed with fear of making a lawful and legal arrest, pity the poor cop(s) who do take a suspect into custody. The “persecuted” soul whines to the local news media that gleefully takes up the cause of this poor and downtrodden man/woman who says that the police officers beat and harassed them all the while sobbing into the cameras.
What’s next? The cops are put on trial via the local airwaves and print media. They’re dox’d, harassed and a department investigation is launched. They may be suspended without pay and an unnecessary burden is placed upon them and their families.
No matter what the real circumstances are … the cop(s) are guilty until proven innocent. Shouldn’t this be the other way? After a period of time, the cops are found to not have been abusive or acted in any unlawful manner. This is reported, not with the great fanfare of the original story, oh no. It’s covered, if at all, on page 16 of the society column right next to the advertisement for extended car warranties.
Why are draconian restraints put on law enforcement? The answer is simple. As former House Speaker “Tip” O’Neill said, “All politics are local.” Meaning you get the kind of government you vote for. In the last mayoral election in New York, only 23% of eligible voters bothered to show up at the polls or vote by mail.
New York is a mirror image of San Francisco, only on the other side of the country. In these and other areas, police departments are being cut and the push to defund law enforcement is gaining steam.
Back and work for the candidates that support a lawful and peaceful society. Many district attorneys have been thrust into office by a well-oiled and well-funded machine that has installed a number of “soft on crime” DA’s. Multi-convicted felons are processed and released due to the no-bail laws in certain areas. Is this what we want?
Do you want cops who don’t enforce the laws on the books when confronted by riotous fringe groups? Cops who don’t enforce “quality of life issues?”
At some juncture, we will reach a tipping point where the citizens will rise up and say “enough.” This after the police have been trashed and demeaned by the local politicians and officers are leaving in droves. Who on earth can blame them?
So the next time you hear of a DA releasing a violent felon that has killed or injured an innocent person just ask yourself … Is this the kind of law enforcement I want? The next time you see a cop, forget about that ticket you got in 2014. Tell the officer thanks for doing a job that’s not for everyone and you’re glad to see them. If you haven’t needed a cop in your past, you’ll need one in the future.
Ken Dye is the author of 5 books about crime, cops and bad guys in the St. Louis area. He blogs under “Cops Perspective” and has over 20,000 followers. Ken served with the St. Louis County Police Department for 13 years and finished his LE career with the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority as the administrator for the statewide MEG’s and Narcotics Task Forces.
