When Bad Things Happen to Good Agencies

What planet have you been living on for the past 15 years ? Now a days there is no agency, including the FBI, that will ever conduct an internal investigation, in a neutral atmosphere, where ALL RELEVANT AND CONTRIBUTING FACTS AND CIRCUMSTNCES will ever be allowed come out. Too many officers and agents are getting the 'boot'' simply because the officer / agent had to use what is learned on the job in order to get the job done and their agency not wanting to support them because they might look bad in the press or during election time.

This 'micro-mangement for the public good' crap is one reason why so many officers and agents are winding up in the emergency room; they use 'risk management' as the deciding factor in any use-of-force or arrest warranted situation as oppossed to the very real probability that if the 'bad guy' is hook'ed up everybody is a whole lot safer. And if anybody wants to challange this, please do. Start looking up the workman's comp stat's for officer's injured in the line of duty starting say back in 1985 to now. The subsequent graphing and trend lines will not only bear me out but, regretably, will be cause for more space to be added to the Memorial in DC. I've got 3 names on those stones from my career. 2 of them were caused by their agencies refusing to stand up for what we all know is needed but refused to be allowed due to media reactions.

And why is suddenly 'risk management' the deciding factor ? Because the Chief or Sheriff is not willing to stand up for their officers or agents when it is necessary for the officers to use the needed force to 1, get the situation under control for everyone's safety (as is always taught at any law enforcement academy as practical policy and common sense), 2, effect the arrest in as short a time frame as possible (to prevent any interference, evidence destruction, victim's safety or escape possibility) and 3, the Chief or Sheriff not wanting to be on the 6:00 news having to explain why is was necessary for 4 officers to bring little 'ol Homer under control. Seems that the news folks and the powers-that-be seem to leave out those 'minor' historical and publicly available facts about of 'ol Homer; 6' 0", 235 lbs., 2% body fat, 3 prior felony assaults, 2 assaults on an officer, how many drunk and disorderlies, 3 years in the State Pen. for his last felony assault (while resisting) where he is now a confirmed gang member, and, suspected in 3 gang shivving's and, finally, a record for spousal abuse so long it needs a box of computer paper to print it all.

Risk management is not just for the public's sake but for for the line officers and agents as well. Risk management not practiced on the street equals another name on the Memorial in DC. As has been taught t so many academies "When the good guys start losing the streets, society as a whole lose's everything instantly" The King riots in LA proved that beyond ny shadow of doubt.