What a can of worms here. I’m sure someone out there has written a large dissertation on the subject. So here are a few random thoughts. Full disclosure - I have cops in the family.
It has been my observation that one by-product of our culture of instant gratification is a serious lack of self discipline. Stories like this offer plenty of evidence. These individuals, whether they be cops, athletes or politicians are all exhibiting poor judgement based on a lack of self control, and it is a conscious and deliberate decision - I don’t buy the “I just reacted” or “That’s the way I was trained” bullshit - and they need to be held accountable. And for the most part, they are not. Our culture gives them a pass. Why? I think the short answer is, it’s good for business.
Law enforcement is a fraternity. And anyone who has ever been in one knows the number one rule is to protect the fraternity at all costs. One way to do that is to cover for your brothers. Hence, the “internal investigation”. A lot of unflattering shit can disappear in that process, and the belief that “someone’s got my back” can lead to large amounts of unethical and unsavory behavior, especially the “I’m above the law” concept.
People are attracted to law enforcement for many different reasons. I think most start with noble aspirations, some do not. I once worked with a young man who applied to the police force simply because he had been bullied most of his life and being a cop was a good way to start payback time. I hope he didn’t make it. And for those with good intentions, let’s face it. As a cop, depending on your location - not Mayberry, although there’s Otis, and that rock throwing goober - a large part of your job is dealing with the worst society has to offer. Under that constant grind I imagine it could be easy to lose sight of the fact that dumb fucks are still people too.
On a business trip many years ago, I had the occasion to spend a fair amount of time with a cop from northern Canada who was providing security for our event and we talked about cop’s bad behavior. His take was something like this. ‘Whenever I encounter someone as a police officer, I try to keep in mind that my interaction with them will influence their next encounter with a cop. If I’m an asshole, they’re going to assume the next cop is an asshole too. And under that assumption, things might not go so well for either one of them. So no matter what the circumstances, I try to treat them as decently as possible. It’s better for me, it’s better for them, and it’s better for the next cop who may have to deal with them in the future.’ We need more cops like him.
