Wired Pig's World

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Police Attitudes Over Time

seem to change. At the least to me they did. When I first started out as a cop some 15 years ago I was The Law and nothing could stop me. Everyone was scum. Even that old lady who had her car broken into. Didn't she know that it was all her fault for leaving those Christmas presents in plain view of any thief? Everyone I came into contact with got NO sympathy. It was, after all, their own fault for doing something, being someplace or with someone.

Now, looking back, I can see that yes - I was badge heavy. No one could touch me. That was the culture. Your a cop and they aren't. Speeding? No problem, just charge it to MasterBadge and your on your way. 7-11 has free coffee for cops... and I used to get my fill. Half off you meal at IHOP, I was all over that.

Going from a patrol officer to being a jail officer was an eye opener. You can see it in the eyes of the officers working the housing modules. They are THE LAW in jail. They are the keepers. The jail is where the court sends the inmates for them to lay down judgment on. The jail is where the court sends inmates. But it isn't my job or my fellow officers jobs to be the punitive aspect of detention. That is the jails job as a whole. The jail is an adult time out. My job is to make sure that the inmate is safe, has food and toilet paper. There were some rowdy inmates. I asked (very naively)why he didn't just follow the rules. Rules? He said he wasn't in jail for following the rules and didn't want to start doing it in here. WOW, what an epiphany for me. He was right and it changed how I looked at the whole of it.

It wasn't the people I was working for that were wrong. It was my attitude. They did what people do. They lived their lives and made mistakes. It was my inmate and his fellow compatriots that were wrong. I know.. I can be a bit slow at times. But I finally got the message. I don't need to be an ass to Billy who had his car taken or to Marry who was just robbed. They were the ones in the right. That was 6 years ago.

So, if I was a badge heavy cop when I started, what's changed? Now if (when) I speed I expect the ticket. I have a badge in my wallet still, but its under a flap that under pictures of my kids. Its much harder to get the badge out and say 'charge it'. I treat the people with all the respect I want to get in their spot (yes, I've had my car burged). Would I take a free drink at 7-11 now? No. How about that half-priced meal at IHOP... no way. I work like everone else. Does the carpender working on that new house get a break on his meal at lunch or a free drink at 7-11? I doubt it. I'll be happy to pay for mine thanks.

Are there still badge heavy cops out there who think like I did when I started? You can bet there are. Some have been in law enforcement as long or longer than I have and still act that way. Hopefully in time they'll learn that there is more to being a cop than carrying the gun.

posted by Glenn H at 5/12/2004 12:06:00 PM

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