First I must say some of my best friends and heroes work in law enforcement, so this is not to bash any of you guys. I am just wondering what the expectations are, what the perception is of our police force by the public? I can only give my experiences. Here's a few off of the top of my mind...
I've had a couple of warning tickets for speeding in my younger days, which was generous of the officers I thought. I got one speeding ticket hot-rodding a car, which I definitely earned and another for speeding ticket in town at 4am... which I thought was pretty lame, given I was the only vehicle on the road. Oh, me and the officer I suppose. I received a ticket on Sunday when no work was going on in a "work zone" and I was driving the normal 55mph speed. Then there is the experience in which I felt racially harassed by a black police officer who had a need to refer to me as "Boy" instead of my name or Sir. Of course I don't remember that guy too fondly. And there's an experience in which I was driving without my lights on in town...is that a crime?...I attempted to get out of my truck to investigate the problem and the officer didn't like that very well and was not very kind to me. But then there's my favorite... the officer who came to my house to investigate a crime and recommended that I buy a gun. I listened to that officer.
What has been your experience?
Having spent three years in Navy Law Enforcement, trained in San Antonia where all MP(with the exception of the Army) are trained, I have a certain amount of empathy for law enforcement personnel. When I am stopped, for whatever reason, I go the extra step to ease tension. At night you can automatically turn your interior lights on, always window down and hands on steering wheel. There are reasons that police officers are on edge, namely they deal with a majority of unsavory people who lie to them as if it were the norm. They have to continually assume a defensive posture to ensure their safety and that of those around them. These factors on a daily basis over a period of years takes a toll on a persons view of civilians, and to not adopt these factors is to put the officer's life in jeopardy because they regularly deal with individuals who will take advantage of ANY lapse of judgment.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, are there Police Officers who are a$$holes and power hungry? Yes. But majority of officers chose the profession from more of a sense of a calling, to serve, and their actions are more largely a reflection of the society they serve. It's a nasty, thankless job that Police Officers have and in todays atmosphere of rogue litigation it is a damned if you do and damned if you don't.
As for our privacy, Police Officers are generally following a procedure and are at the bad end of laws being made to infringe on our privacy.
Just my opinion. Police Officers are human and have their share of jerks and self-serving egos but overall they are good men and women doing a rotten, thankless job.
Thanks for your comments Ed.
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