RCA wrote: ↑Sun Oct 22, 2017 3:31 pm
I would argue that in the case of LE if people in a community are upset with their PD, and nothing wrong technically happened then something is probably not right. Either IA is looking out for the department, or the people they serve don't agree with or understand the policies of the department.
That last point is, sadly, the case, more often than not. The genpop don't see first responders, athletes, or military as human beings like themselves. They see uniforms (and the mental imagery that invokes is good, bad or indifferent based on their culture, upbringing, and possible positive or negative past experiences). You are correct in that the genpop has little to no interest in learning - and I'll go a step further - not just about the department's policies, but about the law, the Constitution, and the disconnect between what they're shouting and what they truly believe.
Think about how many people fundamentally misunderstand freedom of speech and freedom of expression (as discussed above).
No, the genpop is rarely interested in facts. One need only look at our political situation to see evidence of this. They want to hate the villain, cheer for the hero, and God forbid if they're exposed to be anything that doesn't coincide with popular thought. When enforcement of a clearly-stated law is labeled as "racism" for convenience, that's not the job of the LEO or department to educate. The impetus is on the loudest mouths and ringleaders to make sure they know what they're talking about.
Again, you nailed it - We absolutely can do better., and that foot should never lift off the pedal. But it's hard to teach those who, in general, don't want to learn. To get in an uproar over a handful of unjustifiable force cases - which cross racial lines (we just hear about [conveniently] ones that involve a minority perpetrator) out of the literally hundreds of thousands of police contacts that occur every day with no drama, is to be intellectually dishonest - and, perhaps, to undermine the 99.999% of perfectly functional and appropriate interactions that occur daily.
RCA wrote: ↑Sun Oct 22, 2017 3:31 pm
All the push back is shameful and definitely leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Agreed. On the surface, absolutely. Which is why I will never support unionization of the job (or any other function). But again, the pushback may not be for the assumed reasons. It comes down to perception - which I'm about to touch on.
RCA wrote: ↑Sun Oct 22, 2017 3:31 pm
have you noticed changes in disciplinary actions, officer behavior, or the public's behavior since (cellphone or body) cameras have become more prevalent? My intuition says it makes it more difficult to get away with stuff and so it probably changed the behaviors of all those involved.
Absolutely - but not always in the ways you'd expect. Unknowingly, you've even demonstrated [I'm not picking on you, but this is a great example] the POV that leans to one side. And that's what happens with the genpop. Cams aren't just there to prevent brutality or inappropriate interactions. In fact, once the genpop sees some of the footage, they're usually aghast at what LEOs have to deal with - you'll hear responses like, "I would smack the s*** outta that guy" or "God help my kid if he ever talks to a cop like that." These are the people who perceive that the cams are JUST to "catch bad cops." Nope. Part of the beauty of them is that they're impassive and devoid of opinion. They show the bullcrap that people pull - often for no good reason.
There's a school of thought (and I'm not up on the latest research) that cams make those interactions MORE difficult.
LEOs have to go "by the book," rather than using professional discretion (or, what the genpop would call "human kindness"), meaning something that might have gotten a stern warning, or a "WTF dude, you don't wanna go to jail, get outta here!" now result in an arrest (increasing the chances for bad things happening on both sides).
There's also a tendency for certain citizens to "act out," knowing full well they're on cam. They know their words and behavior can be "ramped up" as long as they don't cross the line. That fakery makes legitimate human interaction difficult. Think of the worst internet troll you've witnessed, and translate that into real life... and then tell me you'd want to deal with these a$$hats. Remember, these aren't badges, they're real people, just like us. They want to go home and wrench on their car, play with their kids, catch a ball game, etc. Meanwhile, Punky McThug is doing everything in his power to elicit a negative response from an officer [see self-fulfilling prophesy] because it'll reinforce his already-negative perception of the uniform.
Good stuff, brother. I hope this is helpful - and BTW, anything I share plus a dollar might get you a small soda.
