Once upon a time, in the history of our country, there was a widespread mood when it came to the way most people viewed the police. They recognized the obvious need for an organization of trained public guardians that would protect and serve the law-abiding segment of society. Undoubtedly, since most liberty-loving individuals resent any restrictions on their behavior, some thought of cops as a necessary evil. Others thought of them the same way they thought of children: to be seen but not heard. In other words, everyone wants to feel secure on the streets and in his home, but they get intimidated by the sight of those semi-military uniforms, with a gun strapped to the side of it. It’s okay to see a cop on patrol when you’re walking along the street, especially at night.
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However, when you’re out for a drive and see a radio car in your rearview mirror, you’re likely to glance quickly to see how fast you’re going. That momentary tension will make one feel a bit resentful. It’s an emotion that subsides the moment you see the bubbletop auto taking the exit ramp.
I’ve often heard that people should obey the police out of respect for them, rather than fear. Still, is it respect when you slow down at the sight of a police cruiser, or is it the fear of getting a ticket? When a burglar runs at the sight of a police unit, he’s in fear of being captured. He’s not filled with admiration for his pursuer. If more people feared the punishment for breaking the law, our prisons wouldn’t be filled to capacity.
What comes to mind when you see videos of rioting in the streets, and police cars being pelted with rocks and set on fire? If your judgment is that the rioters have no respect, you’d be stating the obvious. But it goes much farther when you consider that the type of thugs violent enough to destroy police cars are not the type of people who respect any concept of civility. In fact, they view civilized folks as sheep, waiting to be sheared. Therefore, when wolf packs are on the prowl, sheep need fearless shepherds who are stronger and more formidable than the predators. Ask any decent person living in a high-crime area if they prefer tough cops, rather than social workers to save them.
We can remember a time in our history when no one could imagine seeing police cars being savaged by rampaging thugs. During cold winter months, when my partner and I responded to jobs inside a home or business, we’d leave the keys in the car, with the motor running and the heat on full blast. We might be handling an assignment that took a half-hour or more, and we wanted a warm car when we returned. In contrast, when working those blistering hot summers, back when cop cars didn’t have air-conditioning, we’d ride on patrol, with all windows open, as our sweat-drenched uniforms absorbed enough body fluids to cause dehydration. Receiving calls from the dispatcher was pleasant, because it gave us a reprieve from that sauna on wheels.
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Similarly, we left the car unguarded, windows wide open, with no expectation of vandalism or larceny while we weren’t looking. In those days, the notion that someone would damage or drive away with our car was unthinkable. That’s due to the fact that such behavior would result in a serious dialogue between the malefactor and the arresting officer, during and after capture.
(To those of you reading this who are wringing your hands and clutching your pearls, keep in mind: Those serious dialogues had a way of altering future behavior. The safety of you and your family might have been influenced by the actions taken by a cop that you never heard of.)
It’s called prevention, which is the most important role of police work. A mugger who spots a potential victim moves furtively toward his prey, when suddenly a blue and white vehicle turns into the street a few yards away. The malevolent street thief will spot his natural enemy immediately and make a fast U-turn. Meanwhile, the intended victim will never know that they just dodged a bullet — not because of the mugger’s respect for law enforcement, but because the bad guys “fear” the good guys.
The next time you see a cop on patrol, give a thumbs up for all the times he may have been there for you without you knowing about it.
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Image via Pixabay.