Too Stupid to Breath ?
I am writing this blog from about 32,000 feet, soon to be back in one of
the more interesting places on the face of the earth for people like
us. Time to think as we cruise along at breakneck speeds, indiscernible
because of our altitude and the dark night sky helps me write. (Some
guys just use a study and a desk; I have to have a million dollar
aircraft!) Recently a YouTube copy of a dash-cam recording of a traffic
stop went viral. This was much to the dismay of the police department
involved and for me personally. I know the department and the many good
men and women who wear its shield. The officer’s diatribe and vicious
anger toward someone eventually charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon
(failure to notify law enforcement officer of permit) was disgraceful.
By now, I am fairly certain any weapons charges against him will be
dropped for a number of reasons unless his Blood Alcohol Content put him
under disability. First, it is amazingly apparent in the video that the
subject was trying, from the time he was stopped and asked for his
license that he was trying to tell the officer he had a permit and
showing him the permit itself, but the officer refused to look at it or
even acknowledge the driver. He had tunnel vision on the passenger.Having spent thirteen years on the streets before moving to become a Chief, (I started to write “moving up to Chief” and I don’t necessarily subscribe to the vertical part of that statement), I think I can write intelligently about the issue, unlike many who have filled web pages with misinformation. This post would go on for pages if I were to document all of the mistakes, tactical errors, prejudicial and hate-filled comments of the officer. The same is true of the subject who was driving his car in the worst part of town, giving rides to drug dealing pimps and their prostitutes and taking payment for the ride in trade and carrying a gun, even with a state issued permit!
As the dust settles, the court cases continue and the officer has been fired from the department. I have worked with officers with short fused tempers, a couple of them very sharp, intelligent cops but their anger cost them and their partners, not to mention their departments. My concern, demonstrated so clearly in this case is the extreme tunnel vision that can occur, not just in someone who has anger issues but for any cop too focused on the collar. In this case, while the drug dealing pimp is pulled out, arrested cuffed and stuffed, the senior partner is now focused on the group on the sidewalk, mostly druggies and prostitutes. The junior, though certainly no rookie, was climbing in and out of the backseat of the suspect vehicle looking for the drugs. In and out, the driver: never removed from the car, still sitting behind the steering wheel with car keys in the ignition, and carrying a gun! Again, the senior officer walking around dealing with the persons on the curb, not watching his partner’s back even a little bit.
Then, finally, the second officer gets to the driver and as he has been since the beginning is trying to show them a card indicating he is armed. When the second officer sees it and realizes how close he came to be a “hero” by forgetting tactics completely his adrenalin goes through the roof and the driver is brought out of the car and introduced to the trunk lid. Now Officer Congeniality goes viral! Again the diatribe goes on for some time with the officer telling him that he is too stupid to be taking up oxygen needed by real people and that he should shoot him right now (by this time he is cuffed in the back of the patrol car, but while you watch, you expect to hear a gunshot at any time!)
Colleagues behind the badge, I know you work long hours. I know that court cases eat up sleep time. I know that on certain shifts in certain zones you deal with what seems to be a ‘different’ class of people. I know how dangerous it is and how trying to keep alert, (we used to use the term on ‘Yellow’) all the time ready to go to ‘Red’ can wear you down. But… too much is riding on you doing your job, doing it well, doing it safely and doing it smartly for you to be content with ‘just getting home at the end of your shift.’
Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer that getting home in one piece at the EOS is a priority but if it comes at a cost of doing a good job, it isn’t enough. You might have what we used to term the “I’m caught by a train” mentality. We all know officers that always seem to time their arrival on scene at the same time everything is under control. No matter their location when the call comes out, they never seem to be first through the door, unless it’s the squad room door and someone brought in donuts.
In my article “SARS)))))” published in the Counter Terrorist a couple of years ago, I remarked on the sign that stands at the entrance to the National Fusion Center. “Today is September 12, 2001” We must adopt the mentality that comes with that thinking. We have to be as sharp and alert as we were on September 12, 2001. It is great that there have been no major attacks on U.S. soil since 9-11; but many know that it is not because of the enemy’s lack of trying! It is because of the vigilance of so many and the dedication to duty by officers from all jurisdictions.
George C. Scott in the opening monologue of the classic movie “Patton” says, “I don’t want to hear about anyone of you dying for your country. You live for yours. Let some other dumb “SOB” die for his country!” Our families deserve to have us come home at the end of a shift and we’d like to retire and enjoy the fruit of our labor but everyone who dons a uniform and every family member who watches with pride their cop go off to work also knows that any shift could be their last. Make it count for something. Don’t give up your precious life because you lacked clarity of thought, were careless or you did not ‘watch the hands.’ If you are on top of your game, you are doing everything just right and your number falls, then it is what it is. If you are called upon to pay the ultimate price, make sure you bought something worthwhile with it.
Terrorists continue to threaten our homeland. The stats are overwhelming, particularly through the porous southwestern and northern borders. Follow every lead. Turn over every rock. If you are going to get angry, get a righteous anger. Be angry against those who would try to terrorize your country, your community or your family. But even in your righteous anger, allow it to motivate you to do more and to do it better. Let it motivate you to be sharper mentally and more powerful physically. Let that righteous anger drive you to the gym to work out and stay in shape and let it push you to read more, take more training and be better at communicating with your citizens in the very neighborhoods that seem to hate your presence, know that it is here that people on the street know when something is up.
I believe it is a good thing that this one vociferous, antagonizing, hot-headed out of control cop is done. That department will be better for it. Administrators and chiefs (one is cop the other isn’t – it’s my blog, my opinion not HSN’s) you have no excuse for not keeping your ranks trimmed from officers like this. I used to blame civil service or the actions of previous ‘administrations’ for the officers I knew should not be out there. But even with unions and arbitration and a sensational chasing media; you have the tools if you take the time to use them to get these folks out from behind a badge.
Keep focused. Let’s find the bad guys and put them away. Let us send a message across the globe and in our neighborhoods, “If you intend to try to harm us – we will find you and we will throw the full force of the law at you.”
Stay safe and God bless.
