Recently, I went to visit my cousin, a detective with a large California law enforcement agency. Unfortunately, our visit was shorter than we had anticipated because of the quickly changing nature of his work. While we sat discussing current law enforcement events, he mentioned his first encounter with baffling cop hatred. Not just cop hatred, he had dealt with that in enough situations, but cop hatred that baffled him. He had pulled up on scene and was met by a young boy, 4 or 5 years old, who looked at him and said, “F*** the police.” This young man didn’t know my cousin. He didn’t know the kind of person that he is or the kind of police officer he prided himself on being. All this child saw was a uniform. When he reached back into his limited playbook of responses, the only one that he had to pull from was written by the hate-filled adults in his life. This child had been taught to hate the uniform and the man or woman wearing it. My cousin wasn’t the first officer to share this story and the frustration that comes with not even standing a chance to be seen in a positive light at a first meeting with a child.
Individual Merit
Law enforcement is one occupation where you not only represent yourself but an entire group of people. You will never be viewed based on your own merit but judged on the good and bad actions of those that the people you are interacting with have experienced including those learned through the media. Unfortunately, this year we have seen more officers fall under bullets of people who hate the uniform regardless of the character of the person wearing it. Every encounter you embark upon, especially those with juveniles will be colored by the lens of what a child has been taught about what you represent. They don’t see an individual with a unique personality and varying life experiences that cares about the community he or she is serving. To them, you are a caricature, a comic strip, either a hero or a villain. Each encounter, you have to break out of the mold of what the child is taught about “you”.
Breaking the Mold
Every officer has the chance to change a child’s perception of police. Each interaction allows the barriers that child has been taught to be removed brick by brick. By keeping your compassion and patience and remembering that we are not born hateful; we learn to be hateful. By working with each child, in each encounter, you have the chance to change perception and also quite possibly another officer’s encounter with this child. Your actions, your concentrated work could be the difference in whether this now grown child either does or does not come to the aid of another officer. Your current interactions shape this child’s experience with police in the future. Due to this, each moment you spend breaking down the walls of learned hate are worth it.
Gold Stars
I know I’ve mentioned each of these officers before but I can’t say enough about their tactics to make changes in the way juveniles perceive the police. Now retired Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Deputy Dan Olsen won over the kids of Creswell (OR) in each interaction he had with them individually and in groups. He showed them respect while at the same time expecting it back. He worked tirelessly to maintain relationships and he changed the perceptions of many kids who were taught to hate the police. Because of his effort, he made a lasting difference where he worked. The other example is Gainesville (FL) Police Officer Bobby White, the Basketball Cop. Although humbled by the hoopla that came about after his impromptu basketball game with kids in his beat, he took that momentum and used it to start a non-profit that helps other officers make the same kind of connection with juveniles in their area. Since the basketball incident and then Shaq, White has been able to send sporting equipment to police departments throughout the country in support of building relationships with children. All of these officers are taking a proactive stance against hatred. On a sad side note, there has been more money raised to help celebrities get out of debt than to support this community bridge building program.
Every officer matters. Every officer also has the potential to change the perception of children who have been taught that officers don’t matter. With every interaction, you can change the future. Just like hate can be taught—so can love.
