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gigag04 wrote:Excalibur - I appreciate your post. I was discussing with a coworker how spoiled we are at the department we work. They don't tolerate a poor attitude towards the public, dishonesty, or any form of enethical conduct. Not only is it frowned upon, but values of service, honesty, and respect are modeled and encouraged consistently on all levels of leadership. While it's not perfect in this regard, it is definitely the standard that is there.

Sadly, I realize that this is not encompassing of all of the LE workforce. I know we were trained in Peel's and others ideals of community oriented policing. We'll see what the future holds.

You are indeed fortunate to work in such an agency. I was very fortunate in that regard as well. It provides a solid foundation for what is never an easy job, and makes it much easier for an officer to maintain the personal integrity needed to live peacefully with himself.

Treating the public with respect and scrupulous adherence to proper police conduct allows you to reach out to the good folks and work with them. There are way more of these folks than bad guys, and the bad guys' act gets severely cramped when the good guys stand together.

Fair treatment also helps develop relationships that can help out when you most need it - like the discreet and anonymous "officer needs help" call made to 911 when you suddenly find yourself in trouble rolling around on the ground with a meth head and can't make the call yourself.

jamisjockey wrote:

gemini wrote:Just watched the video......wow. I believe this is happening in Arlington.
If I think a LEO is in the wrong, I won't hesitate to say so. However, I'm
also quick to defend a LEO (s) if I think they are in the right. That said...... the
verbal abuse and aggressive posturing displayed by many in the crowd
surrounding these officers is shameful. I thought the officers were amazing
in their ability to maintain self control..... especially since the crowd seemed to
have none (culture, class or self control). Nice job, no, VERY nice job.

Mob mentality coupled with a view that the only purpose for the police is to oppress minorities.

Actually it's not true mob mentality. That involves a lot more people acting together. Here we've got one primary actor with a supporting cast of a very small handful.

What you see on the video could be described as rabble rousing, incitement, or the more contemporary term: "community organizing."

gigag04 wrote:Saw this on BLUtube. It's unedited, and as such, has offensive language.

I know some feel that the force as a whole is less professional now than in previous years. I would argue the contrary. Had this happened 30 years ago, the outcome would be quite different. Accountability, oversight, and stricter hiring standards deserve a nod here, as well as a number of other factors.


Video:
http://blutube.policeone.com/media/6473 ... g-fallout/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The officers on that video did an awesome job of taking care of business in a wholly professional manner and not responding inappropriately to the extremely provocative harassment that was designed to get them to make "gotcha" mistakes on camera. The tape brought back quite a few less than fond memories for me.

I would not agree with anyone who said that American police on the whole are less professional than in prior years. My observation is that they are better educated, better trained, and better equipped than ever before.

What has been lost in some (far from all) agencies is the vision of police service as captured in Sir Robert Peel's 9 Principles of community policing. These concepts are not pie in the sky ideas that should be reserved for quiet suburban towns. They are central to successful police work everywhere, although it takes a much higher level of skill and dedication to apply them in our inner cities.

I understand all too well what it's like to be confronted day after day with the type of conduct shown in the video you posted. It's hard to maintain internal balance under these conditions. Without strong and visionary leadership, it's all too easy to form an "us vs. them" mentality which is closer to the mindset of a soldier than a police officer. When this happens, the concept of service falls by the wayside and officers start to play fast and loose with the law. At that point the line between good guy and bad guy blurs, and the police lose the support of the community that is crucial to both their mission success and their safety. Bad things happen on both sides from that point on out.