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Today's American Police Force Leaves So Much to be Desired

ong gone are the days when communities all across America looked up to the police officers Chris Brown, Wale, Nelly, Bow Wow and more pose for a Stand Up Don't Shoot picture for Mike Brown in Los Angeles at Occidental College who patrolled their streets and kept their neighborhoods safe. For cops back then it was a calling—almost like the priesthood—and those who answered that calling were brave, noble, larger-than-life individuals who kept Americans safe.

Policing as we all know is an inherently dangerous line work. Gangs, criminal syndicates, lawless elements, and their easy access to firearms make the job of a police officer a lot more dangerous than most other professions. Cops know this and are acutely aware of the dangers they face from the very start.

The difference is those storied policemen of yesteryear treated the inherent danger in their profession very differently. Back then cops accepted the fact that there might come a time when they might not "make it back home for dinner." Back then cops relied on their quick thinking and powers of persuasion to defuse or deescalate a perilous situation. Back then cops used their firearms only as a last resort. And back then cops saw themselves as part of the community, the neighborhood, or the parish and treated their fellow citizens with respect.

Unfortunately, police today have almost nothing in common with their counterparts in the past. They police neighborhoods they don't live in. They see the residents of those "alien" neighborhoods as the enemy and therefore see nothing wrong with using military-type weaponry against them. And most importantly, they have never accepted the fact they might be killed in the line of duty and so make it a point to shoot first and maybe ask questions later—if the suspect is still alive. They are not the brave police officers Illinois students and community members gather to protest the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner of days gone by who put their lives on the line each time they put on their uniform. Today's cops are fainthearted weaklings who dress in bulletproof flack-jackets and military helmets and arrive in Humvees and MRAPs.

These cops make sure they make it home every night and eventually retire with a pension. They have effectively eliminated all inherent danger from police work by taking down anyone who is perceived as a threat however remotely. And since they see themselves on the side of the law, they have little or no regard for their victim's rights.

These past few months, people have seen it happen time and time again. In Ferguson, Missouri, in New York City, in Beavercreek, Ohio, and in Cleveland. Trigger-happy police officers manage to neutralize all threats (real or perceived) by immediately using lethal force. Unfortunately their victims are deprived of their right to justice and due process and will never see their day in court.

As we stated earlier, today's cops are a far cry from their predecessors. America must now reevaluate and overhaul its concept of what it means to be a police officer. The Police, it must be pointed out, operate in that critical junction where government and the civilian population meet. And they must be able to straddle both those groups equally well. How America eventually resolves this issue will determine what kind of country our children and grandchildren will live in. Lets hope for their sake that America gets it right. Published 12/14/2014

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