Sunday, September 27, 2015

Losing Faith in our Police Officers - Back the Blue



Losing Faith in Our Police Officers


Things have spiraled out of control in the past several years. Trust in public servants has fallen severely and does not show a rebound in faith or confidence this sentiment will ever return to its previous levels – ever. Today we lack trust and faith in our cops and those who represent them in the community whether it be their respective unions or other political groups. It is true that more today than ever before police officers and the communities that they serve are suffering from a credibility problem. 


Following those incidents where cops are indicted for all types of crimes ranging from DUI and domestic violence to various felony crimes including homicides, makes you aware that they are no longer the rarity in the news. It is no longer an occasional incident where the police department was let down by one of their own who went rogue. Sadly, prisons are being filled with those who chose to betray their oath, their promise to protect and serve and uphold the values of their profession. To be convicted of their individual crimes, they did more than just squander their trust – they betrayed society. 


As with other professions generally held in high esteem, a police officer is more than a public servant; he or she is a role model and a mobile sanctuary for our kids to turn to when they need help. Consequently, police officers are held to a higher standard of honesty, integrity, bravery and forthrightness, qualities that lie at the heart of the public's trust in law enforcement. For a police officer to lie undermines the very foundation of this trust.


The idea that there are more good cops than bad cops could persuade some to regain trust in the police. But to question for gaining back future credibility of the department's depends on how many good officers will identify or work hard to get rid of their bad ones.  Good cops being witness to a rogue cop and remaining silent is not only a mistake but a criminal act in its own.

It also ignores the fact that all police officers are required to participate in the act of exposing the nefarious activities inside their respective departments. This makes it hard to consider the fact that as a whole, the overwhelming majority of police officers and civilian support staff in police agencies are honest, conscientious and dedicated.


Losing trust and faith is a natural affect of being wary of these criminals who break the laws while in uniform and carrying a gun and badge.  Logically we must do more to understand and identify what makes the best police officers and support the good ones but that’s hard to do when you don’t trust their supervisors or administration knowing the fact they have ignored this criminality among their rank and file for some time now. 


I know that in order to restore this trust and faith, we must not lose the belief there are good cops in the vast majority of officers who every day demonstrate their commitment to the community with their honesty, integrity, bravery and hard work.



It is always sad, disappointing and, frankly, enraging when anyone who is placed in a position of trust and is supposed to exemplify good sound judgment, moral turpitude and honesty and then are found guilty of a crime that proves them to be violent, deceitful and corrupt.

No comments:

Post a Comment