Generalizing Law Enforcement Professionals

Sitting in a conference this afternoon, I was listening to the speaker give a two hour presentation on Alaskan culture. A native of Kodiak, his talk was entertaining and gave me insight into the way his culture had shaped him. Fascinated, I hung on his every word. I understood his references to how some cultures viewed behaviors, such as eye contact very differently. I nodded my head in agreement as he described how an interaction between a Native Alaskan pulled over by an officer, Anchorage Police to be exact, would be perceived very differently by the two parties. I was still with him. Then, the speaker made a sarcastic comment about how the police having been behaving very well lately. Smirking he stated, “And how many times do you think Anchorage police have been to this talk?” At that point, it didn’t matter what he said after that. My mind kept going back to the fact that this man, who traveled around the world attempting to connect people through understanding of differences, had just stood in front of a group and bashed the entire law enforcement profession and everyone in it and nobody said a word. I was pretty sure I was the only one sitting there who felt the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Even though I’ve never been on the street, as a dispatcher, I am very much a part of the police world and when you trash one of us, you trash us all.

Sibling Syndrome

We may not always get along with our officers. In fact, there were times that I was pretty pissed and if that particular officer were to walk into dispatch it would take all my self-control not to spit in their face. Go into any radio room in the country and you will hear at least one conversation discussing this officer or that officer and what they did or didn’t do. We’re control freaks. Unfortunately, so are most officers. Often this ends up in a pissing contest that neither side will concede. Sometimes it even takes a supervisor to end the squabble. But that is in-house and acceptable. On the other hand, if someone outside the department takes a verbal or physical swipe at one of our officers, watch out. It is on. That’s why I feel so aggravated at recent events.

Us vs. Them

There is a police culture. It takes a special person to put on that uniform and hit the streets ready to protect their community no matter what the personal cost. It’s a choice but it is also a calling. An officer has to be able to control a situation with their presence and their voice and when necessary with the tools they have been given by society. We’ve tasked them with doing whatever it takes to keep us safe often requesting they make split second life-or-death decisions. How can there not be a culture when a specific group of people have been blessed as society’s keepers? What has been happening recently is a huge push back from a small group of people and slanted media coverage which has forced everyone into camps. You are either with the police or against the police. There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. There doesn’t seem to be an area for the majority of people who feel that law enforcement generally does a good job and is staffed with compassionate, smart men and women but who also understand that like in every profession there will be a few bad apples. The criminals who wear blue are an anomaly and good cops do not support them. They also don’t like being lumped in with them as if every officer is guilty of the crimes of a few. This guilty by association has magnified the Us vs. Them which increases the feel of either you belong to the police culture or you don’t. As dispatchers, you will find us clearly in the police camp.

All the same

I touched a bit on this in my last comment but it’s such an important point it needs to be said again. When a person who happens to be a police officer behaves badly, it does not mean that every officer on his or her department and every person who puts on a uniform is the same. That’s ridiculous. When was the last time you heard the statement, “A dump truck driver was busted for DUI last night,” or “An accountant was arrested this morning for child abuse?” Probably never. If the person who did wrong is an officer, that’s the leading statement and when it happens in the course of their duties we seem to be fed the message that it is because they are a police officer that they behaved the way they did. Ridiculous. It was a person who did something wrong and happens to work as an officer. The actions of a few should not condemn an entire profession of people.

Needless to say, I couldn’t hear anymore of the presenter’s message after his blanket statement about police. I don’t personally know anyone on Anchorage Police Department but I did watch two APD officers performing their duties near my hotel the night before. They didn’t seem uncaring or aggressive. So, I had to ask if the speaker would have made the same statements but replaced the word police with a specific racial group or gender the audience would have been appalled. He would have been labeled a bigot. But, because he bashed an entire group of people that it’s now acceptable to bash, instead of condemnation he got laughter. Except from one former dispatcher four rows back who sat seething and trying to figure out a way to re-polish the honor of the men and women who each day and night are willing to lay down their lives for her, her family, as well as, the man who stood in front of her degrading them.