The Decline of Law Enforcement

B

BAB

New member
A rather long essay of sorts by a retired Kansas State Trooper that ponders the decline of law enforcement and his ideas as to why.

Found on The Price of Liberty website www.thepriceofliberty.com

The article: www.thepriceofliberty.com/current/hanna.htm

A few quotes from the article:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Thirty-three years later I asked a young police officer if the state police school taught recruits that they are actually employed by the people upon whom they enforce the law (by this time Kansas had developed a required training and certification process). To his affirmative answer, I expressed my surprise. At this he responded, "Well, Charlie, this question came up, and they said, ‘Well, yeah, sort of we work for them. But in actuality, it’s really us against them.’"[/quote]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>In America, cops work in uniform or civilian clothing. When I mention civilian clothing today, I am primarily thinking of detectives, but you should be aware that my service also spans a period of time when most sheriff’s officers, town marshals, and township constables wore civilian clothes (sometimes overalls), a badge, and maybe a gun-belt, so I’m not limiting the scope of my remark.
Nobody ever wore black ninja suits, knit caps and ski masks!
No one in law enforcement should!

I am very concerned with this trend in law enforcement action. Terrorists dress like this, I am told. Anyone can buy this kind of clothing, including those with "Police" logos, from any number of sources. When heavily armed people dressed like this shatter your door, and invade your home like gang busters, why would you automatically assume they are cops? I would have no inclination to assume anything except that I was in danger of "great bodily harm or death" (wording from Kansas’ use of lethal force statute).[/quote]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I feel it is necessary to the security of our freedom that cops never lose track of the fact that they are a necessary evil - nothing more, nothing less. The necessity of maintaining police power always presents a potential danger to free men.[/quote]



[This message has been edited by BAB (edited December 06, 1999).]
 
One thing LE officials and the media seem to forget, LE exists so as to help people protect themselves and does not exist as the primary guardian of the people. Self defense remains one's own responsibility.

Back in the 19th century, nobody wanted police departments as it was seen as the beginning of a tyranny. People protected themselves and would protect each other against wrongdoers. When police departments were created, it was to assist the people in protecting themselves and each other.

Gradually, as people became less self reliant, they became accustomed to the concept that the police are here to protect us. Bah! Even the courts have consistently ruled that there exists no special relationship for a police agency to protect any particular individual. The only time non-gun owners wake up to this is when the police are overwhelmed and the looters are running rampant in their city. The gun owners who peacefully sit outside with the gun across their lap remain undisturbed while their hapless neighbors get looted.

Ending my rant, it's a pity that rookies aren't taught the historical perspective of how police departments came about.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Just read the above article with considerable pleasure--and agreement. I remember once when I was young and stupid, asking a tribal police officer how he liked working for the government. He said, 'I work for the people' in tones I never forgot. I'm glad to say that that kicked in at some critical times in my LEO career. (Supervising me was an oxymoron anyway.)

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Iwas raised - a long damn time ago - to believe "The policeman is your friend.". And it was true, then.
Society - and cops - went thru some changes, and I don't think most of 'em were for the better, but I don't think we can stuff toothpaste back into the tube...
I guess all we can do is ride it out, and hope we can pick a good place to land.
But if - and I have worked with cops of all kinds, and socialized with 'em for the last 30 years - anyone was to tell me "The policeman is your friend" now, I'd laugh at 'em. LEO's, you guys have some housecleaning to do!


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The Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule are enough for civilized behavior. The rest is window dressing. Shoot carefully, swifter...
 
Swifter I agree with you I was raised the same way. But today I don't know. I have several friends that are LEOS and their decent common sense people. But some of the stuff I see on TV with those Cops shows and
with what I see in the news it really stops to make one think. Some of the attire that adorns some police officers I think they dress to intimidate,the shaved head flak vest gloves with the fingers cut and probably lead padded, Wow what a tough guy and he's going to give a speeding ticket. But then I look on the other side of the coin and some of these guys are in a real war zone. But then I guess the quiet little towns with Andy and Barney patrolling the streets are long gone.

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gun control is people control
 
Working in law enforcement, one of the biggest problems is the "Us vs. Them" attitude that has been mentioned. It's bad enough when it starts being fostered in the Academy. However, it becomes worse when officers keep dealing over and over with low life scumbags. Part of the cause may be the criminals themselves. They are more dangerous than ever, so officer safety takes over. It becomes second nature to them. The perception to some people becomes that the police have the "Us vs. Them" mentality.

How to remedy the "Us vs. Them" mentality? I don't know. But I dang sure don't like that being taught to green kids. And I won't teach that specific mentality to my rookies either. I will teach them how to do their jobs, and so it with officer safety in mind. I always remind the rookie, "Remember its about 5% of the people who are 95% of the problem. Everyone else is by and large a decent and hardworking taxpayer. You owe it to them to do a good job."

I don't have all of the answers, but I'll listen to any suggestions that you have.

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Maintain eternal vigilance. It is the people who are prisoners of their own ignorance about firearms that pose the greatest threat to our 2nd Amendment Rights.
 
When I am civil and approach a police officer (from the front, hands visible, etc.) with a civil question, I should receive a civil answer. Out here in Comal County that's what I get. In San Antonio, I'm treated one step short of vulgar verbal abuse. Every time. Six or seven times in a row. (Yes, I conducted a test.)

Furthermore, a job involving a gun and a badge does not make that individial ruler of all he/she surveys. The term "public servant" seems to have been forgotten by virtually every aspect of our government - from our President down to the beat cop.

(Interestingly enough, the Social Security office was effective, efficient, and courteous! I almost fainted! :D)

Those police officers who feel they must "act tough" to every person who speaks with them hurt their standing in the civilian community.

Their job is tough. They frequently make it tougher by inducing avoidance and hostility in the very people who most support them.
 
A buddy of mine, a National Park Service employee, was sent to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC, pronounced "Fleetsie"). After his return, we were talking some about his training. As a bit of an after-thought, I asked him about any "us vs. them" during his training.

He looked a bit startled; thought a minute; and said, "Yeah, come to think about it, there was a good bit of that."

Just one anecdote, but direct from a trainee's mouth.

One thing which occurs to me is that, afterall, newbie cops for the last five-ten years have come from a society which to many of us is a bit too rude, a bit too disrespectful of traditions and morality. So, does anybody know of "remedial civilizing" being taught in police academies to this sort of Rookie?

Based upon readings of newspapers, nationwide, during my nearly 40,000 miles of travel per year, it's not any sort of rare problem nor a localized problem.

I learn of undue harshness by LEOs in various Internet Forums; daily newspapers, and TV news broadcasts. While I still believe the majority of LEOs are Good Guys, the percentage of bad is increasing.

Bad karma, guys.

Art
 
Why do we keep questioning the Officers and Not the Department?

Its the Departments that sets the standards and trains the officers to those standards.


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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
Hey - have you seen the new Ultimate Super Tactical Match Gun?
 
After leaving the military, I thought about becoming a police officer. I had the qualifications... really there was only one reason I didn't.

That's because I just couldn't see myself arresting child molesters, rapists, wife beaters, killers, etc and spending so much time building cases, etc and then seeing scumbags get a free ride or walk because of the courts...

I know that if I would have gone the L.E. route, I would have eventually put a few bullets into people that needed it rather than go through the hassle of watching them receive less than they deserve in the court system.

My hat is off to the GOOD law enforcement officers out there. You don't get paid enough, nor receive enough recognition & appreciation for the job you do day after day.

I for one REALLY appreciate it.

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Stand against evil, lest evil have its way...
 
Hi,

I don't think le has declined. I think we are much more aware of their errors and shortcomings than we were in the past. We are a society who questions authority much more than in the past, used to people did exactly what their doctor told them, but now we question doctors too.

I think all the 24 hour news channels and the internet have made any transgression on the part of leo's much more widely known than in the past too. Not to mention the video camerea. This leads to the perception that there are more incidences than in the past, but there are not, imho. In the old days, "street justice" was common place, now it commonly results in prosecution and termination.

I believe we are holding leo's to a higher standard than ever before and for the most part they have improved. Are there "rogue cops" who do illegal acts??? Sure are, but they are turned in by their fellow officers at a higher rate than ever before.

Leo's are people and are not perfect, but I believe they are doing a better job now than ever before.

To all the good leo's, keep up the good and thankless work. You have my full support.

Just my 2 cents.

Mike

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It's not paranoia, they really are out to get me.
 
Fury,
Good point. I've mentioned this concept as it pertains to shootings and juvenile delinquency, etc. but I never applied it to LEos. Inconsistent of me.

Thanks. ;)
 
I too have seen a decline. I work in a pawnshop, so I deal with the police everyday. We know people that deal drugs b/c we sell them the pagers and we politely inform the police of there recreational pharmecutical distributions, the officers tell me the same thing every time. " We know about him." SO i ask can you do something about it, and they say there is just so much out there so they don't even bother. I do agree though the bullsh*t with our legal system even if they are arrested the crooked lawyers get them out anyways and the cycle continues!
 
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