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This story was published in 2013; we brought it back to show some things never change! – BW

A reader recently forwarded me a brief article from an online law enforcement-related blog dealing with the question of whether law enforcement is losing the public’s favor. The reader asked me to comment on it, so hence this column.

Law enforcement today is caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the issue of public trust, respect and favor. It’s a dilemma not easily solved because law enforcement policies, procedures, focus and actions, while pleasing to some, will be upsetting to others. To really examine the issue we must look at two things.

What is, or at least should be, the real purpose of police work? What do the majority of people in today’s society want of their police? It’s fair to say the answers to these two questions are quite different. Therefore, depending on whether an agency chooses to focus on the real purpose of our business or accommodating the wishes of the majority, public perception will be effected either positively or adversely.

Our Purpose

From my perspective, and at times I think I’m in the minority, the purpose of our profession is to protect people from those who would prey on them through criminal behavior. Sure, we provide non-enforcement services as well, but the bottom line is other entities can do that. Only law enforcement is entrusted with the power of arrest and the authority to use deadly force for the protection of innocents. The question is whether or not the majority of the public really wants this to be our role. A look at how our electoral process played out recently will help answer the question.

What did last November’s election tell us? Lots of things, not the least of which is that we live in an increasingly “it’s all about me, what have you done for me lately?” society. It’s a society in which the majority of citizens, as expressed by their vote, want fewer things to be illegal (witness the votes in multiple states just on the issue of legalized marijuana alone) and more free stuff to be given to them. It’s a society that prefers its law enforcers to turn a blind eye to issues such as illegal immigration, driving while unlicensed or operating uninsured and unregistered vehicles. It’s a society that has opted for a watering down of the Constitutional framework that in the past provided the boilerplate under which cops operate.

Popular Vote?

So where does all of this leave us? Well for those agencies viewing their primary purpose as arresting bad guys and taking a hard line against activities the law still classifies as criminal, they’ll please the minority of our citizens — at least as that minority position was expressed at the ballot box. However, they will not please the majority who view strict enforcement of the law as an infringement on their freedom. Those who lead agencies following the time-honored precepts of our profession will likely not survive in this political climate — those who are “more understanding, compassionate, reasonable and flexible” will replace them. And they will be replaced by the spineless, politically correct who share the same liberal perspective as their constituents.

As we’ve already seen over the past decade, other agencies will adopt a much less enforcement-oriented philosophy and practice. They will enjoy a high degree of “public trust” because of their soft and, at times, hands-off approach to dealing with criminal behavior. It will take some time before people recognize, if ever, there is a strong correlation between soft policing and increases in crime. But then, given how the majority voted in the last presidential election, I suspect the majority are either too naïve or have consumed too much Kool-Aid to care.

The result of this dichotomy is we’ll likely be left with aggressive, traditional policing agencies perhaps not well trusted by many, but who will maintain low crime rates and safe communities in which to live and work. On the flip side, and unfortunately this already applies to too many large cities in the US, will be cities and counties where cops are well liked, but with violent crime rates bursting through the roof. Not the sort of place I’d want to live, and certainly not the type of department I could ever lead. But people get what they ask for — and deserve — I think the next 4 years in particular will prove that.

Jerry may be contacted with questions, comments, and suggestions for future columns via [email protected]
By Jerry Boyd

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July 2013

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