Why We Need To Stop Exaggerating The Threat To Cops

[Tombs]

The thing that baffles me is how many LEOs don't seem to understand the value of de-escalation. This should be one of the biggest rules out there for LEO safety. Makes me wonder how much psychology is touched on in training? Kind of a big thing in day to day work with more dangerous parts of society.


And no, I don't mean to generalize anyone, just those who don't practice it.

 

[Hemingway]

You deserve nothing more than the garbage collectors receive in pay or respect sir.

All jobs are the same? The greedy Wall Street exec who lives for the next billion, the socialist president and the selfless teacher who lives for the chance to impact the next generation with values and useful knowledge all deserve the same respect and pay, huh? The heart surgeon and the burger flipper are equally impressive.

Does the garbage man doesn't put on a ballistic vest to protect complete strangers--including you and your family--, 99% of whom are unappreciative?

Just when I didn't think INGO could get any lower, you hit rock bottom and started to dig.

 

[phylodog]

All jobs are the same? The greedy Wall Street exec who lives for the next billion, the socialist president and the selfless teacher who lives for the chance to impact the next generation with values and useful knowledge all deserve the same respect and pay, huh? The heart surgeon and the burger flipper are equally impressive.

Does the garbage man doesn't put on a ballistic vest to protect complete strangers--including you and your family--, 99% of whom are unappreciative?

Just when I didn't think INGO could get any lower, you hit rock bottom and started to dig.

I would have agreed with you an hour ago but I read that article and have been cleansed of my improper thoughts.

 

[dross]

Being a cop has to be one of the toughest jobs in society.

Let me say that again:

Being a cop must be one of the most difficult jobs in society.

One more time:

Being a cop must be tough in a way that the average citizen can't begin to understand.

Let me add a personal note:

I couldn't ever be a cop because personally, I'm not up to what the job entails. (I spent 11 years in the Army, for context.)

That said, if you're a cop, ask yourself why these threads resonate. Okay if you knew the answer before having to really think, consider that you didn't know the answer.

Here's my problem with "cops" which excludes them as individuals and includes them as a segment of society I've dealt with many times. My problem:

Wait, before I tell you my problem, let me first tell you about me:

I've never been to jail and my worst run ins with the legal profession concern traffic tickets.

Now, my problem:

Of my dozen or so encounters with cops, they've lied - lied - in three of them. Lied on paper. That's 25 percent. In another, a cop in a bad neighborhood behaved so cruelly to a dear friend I was shocked to my core - I can only assume he acted that way because she was black in a poor black neighborhood and wasn't doing anything wrong and I watched this standing three feet away, and the only reason he had the balls to do this was because he made an assumption about her that he was dead wrong about.

I also have watched in my state of Colorado three separate incidents that had the same thing in common, namely that they beat someone down, lied about it, backed each other up about it, and the truth only came out because they were video recorded without their knowledge. Otherwise the people they beat would have gone to jail for their lies instead of them being fired for beating them like common street thugs and then lying about it, including the "good" cops who didn't beat anyone but who lied about what the others did.

And what we hear so much is that the job is so dangerous that much of the above can be excused because you guys are "just trying to get home at night."

I believe that's what you guys are trying to do. I also believe - please forgive my prejudice - that most of you, yes, I said "most" have looked the other way when you should have turned someone in.

Be more loyal to the citizens who pay you than you are to a brother officer who has betrayed your honor with lies and excessive force.

Put your personal honor above misguided loyalty. Don't lie. Don't back up officers who lie. Don't let fellow officers off the hook for things you'd cite or arrest someone else for.

Don't pretend that your job is so dangerous that you need some special consideration for wrongdoing.

You have a tough job. One of the toughest. That doesn't justify anything.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

No need, I lost all respect for myself years ago due to my career choice.

Dang Phylodog - I didn't know you were a lawyer...

 

[TheReaper]

A terrible article written by a police hater and posted by one of the biggest police haters on INGO's. Not surprising, it's the norm of this website.

 

[mrjarrell]

A terrible article written by a police hater and posted by one of the biggest police haters on INGO's. Not surprising, it's the norm of this website.

Do you ever get the taste of tin out of your mouth? That article was spot on, but your lack of comprehension shows, as usual.

 

[TheReaper]

There was a drop in 2012 after a couple of the most deadly years that LE had in a long time...that doesn't hardly make law enforcement the safest job out there. It sure doesn't change the fact that you hate every law enforcement officer alive.

 

[Denny347]

The thing that baffles me is how many LEOs don't seem to understand the value of de-escalation. This should be one of the biggest rules out there for LEO safety. Makes me wonder how much psychology is touched on in training? Kind of a big thing in day to day work with more dangerous parts of society.


And no, I don't mean to generalize anyone, just those who don't practice it.

Great point. Knowing how to talk to people and knowing your audience is crucial but alas is hard to teach. I work with officers that I cringe at the thought of them taking point on a run...they don't relate well with people. They are not bad cops just deal with people like I would prefer. There is one that gets resisters quite often and it makes me wonder that if they changed their approach would it prevent more resisters? Some people will fight regardless but there are some that if you approach them the right way...will actually thank you for arresting them. I like to pride myself in talking people OUT of resisting. The key is to talk them into complying without them even realizing they are doing it.

 

[Denny347]

Do you ever get the taste of tin out of your mouth?

It's my cheap fillings, I knew $20 was too cheap to fill a cavity...oh wait...we're not talking about the same thing are we

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

There can't be a job more dangerous than sitting in front of a computer posting links to anti-LE/law/government articles. Eyestrain and carpal tunnel syndrome are killers!

 

[VERT]

And?

Annddd...... wwhhaatt!! Guess I am not following. But here it is, and:

We have the obligation to provide adequate budgets for the purchase of equipment and training to ensure as safe a working environment as possible. We have the obligation to pay a competitive wage. I believe this to be true for all professionals.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Bureau of Labor Statistics:

1. Fishers and related fishing workers.
2. Logging workers.
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers.
4. Refust and recyclable material collectors.
5. Roofers.
6. Structural iron and steel workers.
7. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.
8. Drivers/sales workers and truck drivers.
9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
10. Taxi drivers and chauffers.

Source - Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) - Current and Revised Data

I've very occasionally seen LEOs somewhere on the list on a web site here and there, but have no idea where they got the numbers.

The above are from the authoritative source as far as I'm concerned.

And, of all the above, transportation incidents resulted in more deaths than any other cause; nearly 1 of 4 fatal work injuries are accounted for by roadway incidents alone.

My only problem with this is that its about fatalities. you don't have to DIE to be in a dangerous situation. I would think that police fire and military are in dangerous situations on an almost daily basis. That being said, I still agree with some of article and what it stands for, but just because a lot of them don't DIE does not mean its not a highly dangerous job.

 

[VERT]

My only problem with this is that its about fatalities. you don't have to DIE to be in a dangerous situation. I would think that police fire and military are in dangerous situations on an almost daily basis. That being said, I still agree with some of article and what it stands for, but just because a lot of them don't DIE does not mean its not a highly dangerous job.

The particular statistic would be deaths per capita. I am sure more officers die in the line of duty then say lumberjacks. But there are more police officers. Also police are exposed to a lot of dangers. Some of which are accidental. Vehicular fatalities for any profession where people are in a car a lot are higher. Law Enforcement and military are unique (as Denny pointed out) in that those professions deal with active human aggression. So dangers exist outside of accidents or simple negligence. That said other professions have there share of injuries as well. I work with a lot of guys that are missing fingers for example. I personally had 3rd degree chemical burns over my right shoulder and neck. Not the same as getting shot or stabbed but also not a pleasant experience I care to repeat.

 

[VERT]

I stand corrected to a comment in my previous post. The link given by Cosermann outlines total fatalities. I looked at it briefly between projects. Interesting stuff since it breaks down fatalities by category. Police had 131 fatalities with 83 of those by human or animal. I would have to look back through the years, but I hope and suspect that on the job accidental/vehicular deaths are dropping. Let's face it cars are safer today and training of officers I am sure has improved making them more aware of the dangers of traffic. Unfortunately it would be more difficult to reduce the dangers associated with the human/criminal element.

The number of deliberate fatalities 83 is very high compared to other professions. Scanning that column two others popped up. Taxi drivers at 33 and gas station attendants 16. As a percentage human caused fatalies are very high. Possibly as a result of criminal activity?

 

[cosermann]

My only problem with this is that its about fatalities. ...

Injury stats are out there too. Just look them up.

 

[GunnerDan]

I am so sick and tired of hearing about how dangerous being a police officer is. The last time I checked, no one is having a gun held to their head forcing them to become a police officer. If it is such a dangerous profession and if someone is so concerned that being a police officer is too dangerous, THEN QUIT AND DO SOMETHING YOU ARE MORE SUITED TO DO!

Gunner

 

[TheReaper]

I am so sick and tired of hearing about how dangerous being a police officer is. The last time I checked, no one is having a gun held to their head forcing them to become a police officer. If it is such a dangerous profession and if someone is so concerned that being a police officer is too dangerous, THEN QUIT AND DO SOMETHING YOU ARE MORE SUITED TO DO!

Gunner

Who's complaining?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

There can't be a job more dangerous than sitting in front of a computer posting links to anti-LE/law/government articles.

Point taken but what is important is to inject some reality into both the public policy decision debate and court decisions.

The failed state of California predicated its generous police and corrections pension on the premise that law enforcement was more dangerous than other gigs. This is not working out well for California and it is going to have lasting consequences for generations of Californians as CALPERS will vaccuum the wealth out of the state to fund these pensions.

Appellate court decisions are based, ad naseum, on implications of "officer safety". Not to say that this is not a legit concern, but in order to rendered a rational decision it is important for appellate judges to be aware of actual numbers not just the fertile imagination of Deputy Attorney Generals. I.e., just how legit a concern it is (note that the article is entitled exaggerated threat, there is a threat but politics is making it more than it is with consequences to all citizens).

 

[UncleMike]

A terrible article written by a police hater and posted by one of the biggest police haters on INGO's. Not surprising, it's the norm of this website.

Cheer up.....
In the grand scheme of things the opinions of the Cop haters on this site are of no more consequence than a small pimple on a large elephants butt.