I've been teaching and writing about Street Survival for years. Generally when we mention the concept, everyone knows what we're talking about - surviving physical encounters on the street. Today I submit to you that there is another type of "Street Survival," one that doesn't get much attention. What I'm referring to is surviving the temptations on the street that cops all over the nation face each day. How does one survive them, and what type of training is required? Let's take a look at the ethical minefield that we have to navigate during the course of our duties.
There is an often used misquoted phrase, "money is the root of all evil." The actual quote has its roots in the New Testament and actually reads, "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." Regardless of which phrase is used, they both have the same meaning - money, or the lack of it, can be problematic and compel us to act out of character. Think about the times that you may have come upon a situation where you have had individuals gambling on a street corner or maybe on the stoop of a business. When they see the cops pull up, most times everyone scatters in different directions. Once in a while, one of the participants may scoop up the money. More often than not it’s left behind on the sidewalk.
Now comes the time when your character becomes challenged; your morals are tested. What's to be done with that pot of money that no one cares to claim as their own? We all know that the right thing to do is to fill out a report and inventory it as found property. What happens when there is a substantial amount, say several hundred dollars, enough to make a car payment or buy groceries for a week. Do you hesitate... look around to see who may be watching? Do you collect it and still go into the station to file a report, but only inventory half of the money? If you're a one-man unit, it becomes even easier.
How about the drug bust where you wind up tossing someone on the street and come up with a wad of cash and a stash of dope? It would be simple to tell the guy to take a hike, and pocket the money. The same temptation presents itself on drug raids, where stacks of cash and large amounts of drugs are found. When you're dealing with thousands of dollars it would be easy to tuck a few hundred dollars in your pocket.
You make a traffic stop in which the driver is on probation, doesn't have a license, or any number of things that may cause him to offer you some money to send him on his way. Who would know? Certainly the driver isn't going to rat you out, and if you're working alone it would be fairly easy to make it happen. Who couldn't use a hundred bucks? Sometimes it's not even money that becomes hard to refuse. Remember pulling over that blond in the red car, wearing that too short skirt that seemed to ride up higher each time she implied that you wouldn't regret not writing her a ticket?
The list is endless. The temptations strike a chord in some form or fashion with all of us. Maybe it's the cop in a rural county that has a tough time supporting his wife and five kids on a salary that is way below the national norm. Perhaps it's the cop who may be in over his head with bills from a spouse with a substance abuse problem. It could be any number of factors that cause one of us to hesitate and think about taking that money, or accepting that favor.
Unfortunately some of our colleagues have been tempted and have taken the bait. I'm sure that afterward the shame and regret was overwhelming. After you've done it once though, what's to prevent you from continuing to take even more money? I'm sure the rationale is, "I've already broken the law; how can it get any worse?"
I submit to you that it can and will get a whole lot worse. Once you accept a certain type of behavior as "the norm," it becomes easier to act in the same manner. The first time you take something it may be traumatic, even though you rationalize in your mind that it's drug money and doesn't really belong to anyone. The next time an opportunity to take money or goods presents itself, it's easier to do - not much thought is given to the morality of the act. It become easier and easier, and maybe you even justify it by convincing yourself that you actually deserve the money because you work so hard and constantly put yourself in harm's way.
Once you lose your moral compass, it's very difficult to find your way back. What becomes inevitable is that you will eventually be discovered and your career will be over. If you're lucky you may avoid going to jail. Even worse than the dream job and pension that you've lost, the more important thing that you no longer have is your reputation. It takes years and years to build a good, moral character. As we watch the Presidential election unfold, we constantly hear the word "character" being used, especially in the phrase: "Character counts."
There is a quote attributed to an individual named Frank Outlaw that says, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
Those are indeed words to live by. When you become a cop, you automatically become a respected member of society. You are held in high esteem; indeed, little children look up to you as a hero. Don't let them down, and more importantly, don't let yourself down. If you face a moral or ethical dilemma, simply ask yourself, "What would my family think of the decision that I'm about to make?" You can't go wrong if you use that standard. Say your prayers and treat everyone like you would want to be treated. Stay safe brothers and sisters!
