Aren’t We the Good Guys?
Tim Dees
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
All my life, I believed that cops were the good guys. The people that raised me never made the dumb mistake of pointing at a cop and telling me, “You had better be good or that policeman will put you in jail.” If I was ever lost or in trouble, my first instinct was to look for a police officer, because they would make sure I was safe. Maybe my ideal would have been shattered if I had some adversarial run-ins with cops, but I never did. I spoke respectfully to all of the cops I ever encountered, and was treated with kindness and professionalism in return. This image is a much harder sell to young people these days, but not because the boys and girls in the trenches are doing a bad job.
A few weeks back, I wrote an editorial called Ends and Means, where I discussed the conviction of two Border Patrol agents as an illustration of the necessity of playing by the rules. My sources of information on the case were through the news media, and I pretty much bought the party line that the PAs (Patrol Agents) had shot a guy and been caught trying to cover it up. Now it looks more like the PAs were victims of some agenda to demonstrate how considerate we are of the rights of illegal border crossers. The Dept. of Homeland Security refused to surrender internal investigative documents to Congress when they were subpoenaed. Given the context, this stunk right out of the gate. This wasn’t codeword need-to-know national security stuff–this was a dope smuggler that got shot by the people who were there for the specific purpose of keeping him from coming into the country with dope. Then we found out about the dope smuggler’s sweetheart deal with U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, and one of the convicted PAs gets beaten up in prison because no one took the measures to protect an inmate who had been a cop.
I now apologize to those agents, their friends, and their families, for my being taken in and believing what I read. I still don’t know all the facts, and there are a number of folks who have considerable incentive to see that you and I don’t find out what they are. Still, I don’t think it takes much critical thinking to postulate that former PAs Ramos and Compean are getting hosed on a Kafka-esque level. The story has faded now that a few news cycles have gone by, but I hope that this doesn’t die for lack of attention.
More recently, Texas Deputy Sheriff Guillermo “Gilmer” Hernandez was also sent to prison after shooting an illegal alien in an incident where just about everyone except Johnny Sutton (I see a pattern emerging here…) thought was a justified use of deadly force.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has also found himself getting some unwanted attention. When eight U.S. Attorneys (Johnny Sutton being conspicuously absent) got the sack for what was characterized as poor job performance, it occurred to some folks that it was odd there should be this much sudden slothfulness among a group of distinguished overachievers. Now it’s looking more and more like these guys were making decisions according to what was right and/or what best served the public interest, rather than what best served the current administration’s political agenda. Gonzales’ former chief of staff is singing to a congressional panel, and now people are taking bets on how long it will take the Prez to pink-slip Alberto.
I know I’m taking a really long way to get to my point, which is this: all of these things are examples of an abandonment of the public trust. It’s not like this is the first time it’s ever happened, but I wonder if everyone appreciates how much this undermines the whole “good guy” ideal?
The justice system is supposed to be just (probably why it’s called that). Because we are supposedly a nation of laws, we’re all supposed to know the rules and the penalties for breaking them. We constantly fine tune the rules as times, technology, and culture change. When the people trusted to administer those rules monkey with them for reasons of politics, personal gain, or any other motive that isn’t the pursuit of justice, the whole system is damaged. The incentive and the ethos to do the right thing vanish, because you can do the right thing and get hammered anyway.
We’re only the good guys as long as people trust us. Certainly there will always be cops that use their positions to prey on others, but we’re pretty good about going after those guys with a vengeance and unequivocally condemning their actions. But what happens when the people that are setting and administering the policy, the ones supposedly leading the band, decide to replace the mandated agenda with their own? If we can’t trust them, how can the public continue to trust us?
I really liked being a good guy. I took tremendous pride in being the person that anyone, regardless of their station in life, could come to for protection and help. There were considerably responsibilities in that, and temptations to resist, but I liked dealing with those, too. I thought there was something noble about it. In the system I grew up with and believed in, there was nobility in being the representative of the justice system. Now that has become a much harder sell, and I am sad to see that dying.
Execellent post Tim, and I think that until those officers who do commit the actions that bring shame on all good officers are brought to justice quickly and support given by the local governments to those officers doing the job the right way, public opinion will continue to slip. It’s sad to see that a once noble profession lowered in public opinion by the actions of the relative few.
Their are a trillion more ways to stop an dope smuggler as shooting to death. To death is a punishment he will never be alive anymore the comming trillion trillion years by just one mistake and cops who felt themselves tooooo good and took in their hands the judgement of life and death on an extreme way.
Editor’s Note: The person that was shot in the Ramos/Compean incident was not killed. He suffered a superficial wound in the buttocks, and was provided medical care at the expense of the U.S. Taxpayers. He was arrested in a separate incident, once again while trying to bring narcotics across the U.S.-Mexico border. And I’m not sure there are a trillion ways to do anything.
I will never let them forget about those two border agents - it may take the fall of the house of bush but we will get them out. On another note Texas law enforcement appears to be extremely corrupt. I often have to drive my Chevy Express work van from Mexico to Texarkana, I can plan on getting stopped at least once and some nights as many as 5 times. That really affects you and makes driving nerve-wrecking, you’re getting stopped because your driving a van so good driving won;t help. You get a warning ticket every time and they make some silly charge up. About every forth or fifth time they take you out of your vehicle stand you on the median (last time I got a severe case of chiggers, but at least I know those cops did too) and with a second officer behind you in your blind spot interrogate you.”Ever been to jail,” no. Ever been to Jail? No “When was your last ticket?” I haven’t gotten a ticket in 18 years. What, that’s hard to believe. Yea, I guess if your from Texas it would be hard to believe.” etc. Etc They need to clean up Texas and there are some rogue Border Agents but this is an outrage. I recently bought a new Van and registered it in Texas, looks like 90% of harassing pullovers have stopped. (my previous van was spotless no dents no hippie decals just a white work van, the new one is blue)
This seems to be a terrible night mare for these men. Where is common sense these days in this country? Let them go and give them back their jobs along with a full and formal apology, back pay and all legal bills payed.
Linda Reed
I really hope that the Ramos and Compean story doesn’t just disappear into the night. Thank you for writing about it. The more people talk to each other, whether in person, phone, mail, or the web, the more awareness stays higher and the better chance for change to occur.
liked,took,thought,was,should be like,take,know,is.there is nobility,in representing justice.think of all the good you have done….and strive to do more.
i read the article,my comments were in reference to the last paragraph.thank you.
forgive my typing,but anyway im with you.
i am not le
Again, thanks for another article with good insight. The truth of the matter is most people DO see the police as good people; and the image gets tainted by the liberal media. I refuse to believe that anyone would aspire to become an officer to “do evil”…it wouldn’t make sense in my universe. Like you, I saw officers as a safety-net and people to be respected. If just was! I honestly think you have no further to look than the bleeding-heart, liberal media for blowing out of porportion *anything* even *slightly* “wrong” to rile people up. IMHO, it is the media who is to blame. God bless ANYONE who has the gestational fortitude to put on a uniform and go out there to protect all of us! Yes, I agree it’s much harder to sell now; but I’m not certain it’s dying out.
I also took the party line. With more research, I discoved there obscene pattern of prosecutions. Former BP Agent Gary Brugman felt the sting of the U.S. and Mexican Governments. His case was outrageous, no injureies, and no medical attention required, he stopped an illegal…what a crime!
Well said, Tim! When I came in this business in 1974, everyone looked at what the “bad guy” had done, and he was “condemned” accordingly. Now, it seems that everyone wants to make excuses for the “bad guy”, and find fault in anything and everything we do. And we’re the only profession I can think of that if one of ours goes bad, we all must be bad.
Oh, and for those parents who threaten their kids with me for non-criminal acts - I walk up and tell the kid he/she can’t be arrested for crying, or not eating, or whatever.
Keep up the good work and the good mag!
Andy
Detective Sergeant
Slaton, TX PD
I’m a simple officer from New Mexico. The way I see it is good officers with horse sense need to stand up and push the politicians into the lime light for their decisions. If the communities understand the personal or political agendas of our politicians we can start to hold them to a standard higher than they have been held to for a very long time.
I believe that if we show the people that we don’t make the laws we just report to the court the people who violate the law we can eliminate alot of the ingorance of what we do.
This is a very imprtant topic THANK YOU for pushing it forward.
My heart goes out to the families of the agents. But most of all my heart and prayers go out to the two agents. I look at them and think, for the grace of God goes me. I have been a cop since 1982, I have seen alot and this misuse of power is just crazy. We as a profession should rise up and let Washington know what we think of this. I asked everyone who reads these passages to not let the memory of the agents fade away. I just hope this actions taken by the government does not cost the life of a rookie agent. Thank you for your article. I am glad to see that I am not alone in thinking about the agents and families. Remember WE STAND TOGETHER AS ONE.
Detective Michael Phillips
Brownsville Police Department
Brownsville, TN. 38012
In Canada our Supreme Court ruled in R v Stinchcombe that the police must fully disclose EVERYTHING in the investigation. This presents some difficulty at times, but what it does is help to prevent miscarriages of justice. When all the information is transparent and on the table fair decisions can be made.
I wish these two PAs the best of luck, and I hope that hold your politicians feet to the flame on this one.
I just hope everyone who has posted on here Voted when they had their chance- its the only way your voice can be heard. Speaking of voices, Tim, is there any indication what our ‘voices’ are doing for those agents? PBA, FOP, IACP etc.- how are they telling their members to express outrage?
People of my generation know how the police are criminal and corrupt, so we know not to trust them. There are so many “police brutality caught on video” incedents nowadays, it’s pretty much expected. Remember when the Rodney king thing happened, people actually were surprised? The people in LA rioted, because it was common knowledge that that kind of thing was an epedemic. We need to have civillian review boards that have more power that can prosecute the police. Internal affairs is part of the problem. At least we have copwatch nowadays.
I believe Johny Sutton is a disgrace for this nation. I cannot believe that eight federal prosecutors were fired and Mr. Sutton still being paid with my taxes to make deal with drug smugglers to put law enforcement officers in jail for doing what they are supposed to do.
( there seems to be an apperance problem with this blog)
Yea, Johnny Sutton is a crooked cop who needs to be in prison. I wrote every single one of my elected people today about it. Every Johnny Sutton case needs to be re-examined.
My prayers also go out to the two agents and their family, I think Johnny Sutton should be imprisioned in their place, for another story of shame about J. Sutton, type in the words House of Death or Death House and you will get an enlightening of some more of his work. Lets all keep pressure on our President!!!
For the above mentioned story go to narconews.com about the House of Death