Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundancefisher
The problem lies in labeling everyone for the action of one. In a population you have a range of intelligence.
My point is 1 bad person/cop does not made all bad by association
1 bad teacher does not make all teachers bad by association
1 bad bus driver does not make all bus drivers bad by association
1 bad hunter/poacher does not make all hunters bad by association
1 bad lawyers does not...ok that one I won't touch.
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Of course not but it's all about perception.
Officers are granted power .. the ability to make discretionary choices on how they serve, arrest, use force against the citizens of their cities/provinces/countries. With that authority comes the -need- to hold them to a higher standard. Unchecked power corrupts.
Perception would be best managed by law enforcement agencies firing and/or charging bad officers in a timely process and apologizing openly and regretfully for their actions. My own perception is, right or wrong, that disciplinary actions are too light, take forever to be applied, and are ineffectual as 'issues' seem to keep occurring.
I feel sorry for the decent officers. They get labelled and treated like the bad ones by many members of the public and it must make the job extra stressful and thankless. But the only way to start correcting the issues is to address it from within. They need to be accountable, responsible, honest, and hold their fellow officers to the higher standard that they themselves adhere to.