I pulled up to the detour manned by several young officers in my hometown and rolled down my window. Considering they’d blocked off the only way in, I could see no alternative route to my destination without having to make a fairly dangerous traffic maneuver down the road. While I admit I was ignorant of the reason it was blocked, I didn’t get the sense that it was something dangerous. I leaned out of my window and asked the bright and shiny officer a question so I could plot a new route. He replied, in a dismissive and very disrespectful tone, “Just get moving.”
I did, but as someone who spent years serving on that same department I know that his response wasn’t necessary. Traffic wasn’t backed up and there was no one behind me, but even if there had been, he could have taken a moment for a short polite response that would have left me with a good taste in my mouth towards him and the department. Instead, the officer unnecessarily chose to flex his command presence.
I say it was not necessary because I wasn’t some unruly looter or an individual predisposed to ignore his command. There was every reason for him to believe I would move on. Instructions would have taken him about as long to relay as did his command. Instead of choosing the people-friendly, good-will producing method of “moving” me along, he instead chose to muscle what he surely saw as only some middle-aged woman on down the road. He made a bad choice.
His attitude provides a compelling reason for ordinary citizens to dislike the police and consider us little more than bullies with badges. Added to the mix are the many ways police in action are monitored electronically, with the results later interpreted and posted for all to see. Law enforcement already faces a growing public relations problem and it’s not going to go away, but the good news is that savvy departments can handle the potential problems with targeted training and pre-planning.
For example, one of the best countermeasures police have put into place is arming their own with cameras. By automatically recording calls and traffic stops, police have a version that is not only unedited, but reveal the officer’s viewpoint in a very different context. This not only helps exonerate police involved in disputes or incidents, but it also provides evidence for court, helping to stem the growing tide of civil lawsuits. But remember, they also illustrate the officer’s degree of civility and that’s worth considering.
I keep going back to this subject because it’s one of my pet peeves. (Excuse me while I lean on my past a little.) As a patrol officer and later, as a detective, I made a point of never addressing anyone without respect. That included everyone from the governor down to the homeless, and what that yielded me was a bonanza of good things.
Street people, prostitutes, drug addicts, strip joint employees, etc., used to give my partner and me tips and information they didn’t pass along to other detectives. They did so because we treated them like human beings. We didn’t overlook their crimes, but we also accorded them their dignity in the process.
Check out the Internet. You’ll find thousands of results if you search along the general parameters of “I hate cops.” Many posts are crazy, but others, well, they simply want ordinary respect.
It’s a small price to pay for departmental goodwill.
