Good Cop, Bad Cop

One may think the title refers to the age-old police interrogation technique, still very much in use today. I am instead acknowledging that there are such things as a "bad cops" across America. It is easy to attach the "bad" label to a police officer who is "on the take", or one who commits other crimes while working in his or her official capacity.

In my opinion there are a few bad cops who need to be weeded out for lesser reasons. These are the officers who use their awesome power to intentionally intimidate (some people are always intimidated by a police presence and that can't be helped). Policing in a free society is a huge task. While trying to protect the citizenry from harm, person or property, American police officers have a narrow path to follow that is dictated, in the end, by the U.S. Constitution.

Those officers who complain their hands are tied by cumbersome rules and red tape are often the ones who might cut a corner if they thought they would not be found out. They might change the tone of their reports, or worse, change the evidence.

Yet I speak of only a very small percentage of the cadre of U.S. police officers, deputies, and agents. I would be the first to want a "dirty cop" not only fired but prosecuted if possible. To have violated the sacred public trust by any law enforcement personnel is more than criminal. Any wrongdoing by bad cops taints the profession and makes the policing job that much harder for the good cops.

So why do I get incensed when I hear people complain when good cops do their jobs? The speeder who whines that "everybody was speeding", or tells the officer that he should be chasing burglars just doesn't get it. The usual comments about "making their quotas" or "he must need to buy his wife a gift" are just mean-spirited.

If you were speeding, made an illegal turn, or drove without the proper tags, then take your lumps and move on. If you feel the charge is not legitimate, then take it to court. Just don't take it out on the officers on the street. Their jobs can be stressful enough, and besides, it won't help. Cops are human too, and resistance generates more resistance.

So let's condemn those who feel they are above the law, and give harsh punishment to cops who step beyond the line. Just keep in mind that nearly all cops will protect you and yours with their own lives if need be. Most will rush toward the fire, the explosion, the crash, the robbery, the danger, whatever it may be.