It’s that time of year again. My television is full of advertisements, political messages, campaign promises, opponent insults and more. While we in law enforcement usually benefit from avoiding, ignoring or staying out of politics, sometimes there’s just no escape. That’s the bad news. The good news is that historically, having a Republican president in office is good for law enforcement officers nationwide. But national politics really only affect us when judiciary appointments are made or when budgets are determined and grant dollars are specified. That said, local politics affect us a great deal more, especially when the “wrong” candidate wins an election.
Who are those “wrong” candidates? That’s the person whose campaign platform singles out law enforcement officers for any plethora of negative reasons/observations. “The officer used too much force.” “The officer had a personal attachment to the suspect and should have just walked away.” “The officer is purple and arrested a chartreuse woman so it was obviously racially motivated.”
Why is it that some politicians build their career, or attempt at one, on the backs of hard-working men and women? The simple answer is because someone told them it would garner them votes and help get them elected. The uglier answer is because they are people of questionable moral character and they are focusing on only one thing: an office that increases the power they can exert over others. I’m not saying that either political party is more or less guilty of this. I don’t mind the political campaign speech wherein the candidate mentions how not all police officers are perfect but that the few who make mistakes shouldn’t be used as the only examples of what type of people we are or how well we do the job. Those candidates are pointing out reality—none of us is perfect, but we in law enforcement do a tough job under an unforgiving microscope and it takes human beings with some sense of compassion to appreciate that reality when one of us is accused of…anything.
For those of you who work for sheriffs, you know the political fallout all too well. Sheriffs are elected and have to campaign regularly. There is always someone else who wants to be sheriff and all kinds of games get played. My advice to you is to ignore the BS. Do your job, support your sheriff (if he or she is good) and drive on.
Those of you who work for police departments know your police chief is appointed, usually by the highest ranking political executive in your jurisdiction. The sad part of that is the chief will likely have to “toe the company line,” and agree with whatever his/her boss (or group thereof) says. Otherwise, the chief may well soon be out of a job.
For those of us down in or closer to the trenches, the job stays the same no matter who is in office. Answer your calls for service. Patrol aggressively. Assist those in need. Wear your uniform correctly. Be professional and courteous. Go home alive at the end of your shift. Politics should never affect those goals.
Stay safe!
Lt. Frank Borelli
