Police Misconduct...More, Less, or the Same

Over the last several months, I seem to be reading more and more about police misconduct. I am beginning to wonder if this is a new cycle, or is the news media just having aome bad news days.

We all know the media is selective, self absorbed, and just loves something that will stir the flames of discontent. So when a cop does something that may or may not be a good thing, they jump on it and condemn the police. As far as many of the media are concerned, the officer is guilty until proven innocent. The last time I remembered it was innocent until proven guilty.

Now admittedly, I have been reading about some really bad moves by cops, and in fact, they have been found guilty and paid the price for their misdeeds. This does not mean all cops are guilty by association...I would surmise that 98% of our officers are outstanding and it's the 2% that mess up the party.

I was at a meeting the other night and someone brought up some silly police misdeed. Almost immediately, the crowd was disturbed and the tone of the conversation changed to anti-cop. Very few supported the police. I asked the group if they had to answer this question quickly and honestly, how would they do it. The question; "Which public safety group to you hold in higher respect, police, fire/ems, other?" The answer was interesting. About 85% percent answered fire and ems. The media is hurting law enforcement's image, in my opinion.

Now, what about the police themselves. After 30 years of involvement with public safety, I have seen both sides of the fence. A couple of quotes come to mind quickly, "Perception is Reality," and "We have met the enemy and he is us!!" Stop and think for a moment about some of the things officers do everyday and don't give the issue a second thought, e.g., introducing themselves as "Officer JW Jones" and not I"m Officer Jeff Jones. Much easier on the receiver's ear, and doesn't sound as stiff. What about comments overheard by the public like, "he's a civilian and would never understand." I could go on, but maybe its time for the law enforcement community to embark on a campaign to be more human.

Think about how you can be more human in everyday dealings. I personally know hundreds of officers of all ranks who fall in this category. I also know the ego centric ones who think they are better than the public they serve. Is it a regional issue? Is it a local issue? Listen to yourself. The old adage "it's not what you say but how you say it," can go a long way in building relationships.