Y’ll know I’m a mental health professional. To become a “talk” therapist, I had to get 8 years of higher education, do thousands of hours of supervised counseling, take an exam, procure licensure & professional liability insurance. Generally, psychologists can’t write prescriptions. To be an NP who can write prescriptions after my PhD, I did 4 more years of training & more free supervised clinical hours, took 2 exams, licensure (as an RN & an NP), DEA licensure & another controlled substance certificate, more liability insurance. Then there are continuing education requirements. If I were young enough to become a police officer, the training & ed required is a pitiable fraction with no licensure requirements & my record would not be publicly verifiable like all of my current ones. This is a$$ backwards.
Some of what I see in the unarmed people who die in a hale of police fire is a history of trauma some of which is likely self-medicated. We can reform policing in America with more stringent training requirements, require background checks, psych evals, & a screen of social media accounts. POs should be licensed & their record publicly visible. Officers need to be in regular counseling & screened for acute stress disorder, PTSD & substance use disorders. The public and the profession deserve this at least.
First, this Memphis story is just getting going. There will be more victims coming forward. And it will be ugly
Secondly, there’s another problem no one talks about and that’s the ex military personnel who get radicalized while serving. Why isn’t there a mandatory exit program complete with a psych evaluation and ongoing therapy?
I’m shocked at the number of vets who participated violently in the J6 riot.
Yes, the radicalization of veterans, as those involved in the January 6 Insurrection and other groups around the country, alarms us who see it. We, the ones who can become victims of it. The Department of Defense and the military, are they as concerned as us citizens? Why has Mike Flynn not been court-martialed by now? Is he under an ongoing investigation or... whitewashing? How about his affront to the authorities he was trained to protect and defend as he trains his own paramilitary army protected under the mantle of the Governor of Florida?
Critical concerns at this time in the life of our nation. Yes, Flynn SHOULD be in jail, and for a very very long time. And yes, IS General Austin aware of and doing anything about what's going on with current and former military troops' involvement in sedition?
I listen to a podcast called "Midnight Miracle" it's not (at all) what I assumed it would be. It's hosted by Dave Chappelle, Yasmin Bey (a rapper whose stage name was Mos Def) & Talib Kwame. They have a variety of guest. The topics are funny, provocative thoughtful. Their discussion of police: acknowledged that police see the absolute worst society has to offer but have to support system to deal with what they are exposed to. They weren't excusing them. They were just acknowledging what we all know. We'll soon learn how many times these cops over aggressive conduct was validated by that system.
I have lifelong family friends on the force who have become a shadow of the men I once knew. I hate they stayed on the force but marriages, mortgages, etc., made leaving a challenge, especially for a guy with just a hugh school diploma. Anyway: check out "Midnight Miracle."
An article in today's (or maybe 2/1) Washington Post said that of those involved, there were reports of other like behavior. I didn't read it thoroughly enough to know toward whom and when. Thank you for the podcast recommendation.
Are there statistics to know of how many former military service members are serving in local law enforcement? In the ranks of both - military and police - reading shows radicalization and trauma leading to PTSD.
The military and law enforcement are in need of qualified personnel, well screened and trained and available of counseling - and encouraged to avail themselves of it - as noted by superb posts among this discussion.
Bodies don’t mean qualifications.
Is this part of the discussion, locally and federally?
There is no doubt that there are no equivalencies between a professional career founded on higher education as yours is, with the added ongoing education, licensing and the accountability that comes with it by requiring liability insurance. I find it most telling that your expertise actually contributes to the conversation in question, that is the delayed and relayed reality about police officers' substance abuse and self medication. And you have therefore the authority to speak about the licensure requirements. We should all repeat everything that you list as needed to "reform policing in America."
We are not a trauma-informed society, generally speaking. Many people think that PTSD just happens to war veterans or people who have a serious car accident, for instance. Many children are traumatized at a pre-cognitive age, due to neglect, violence in the home, or parents who are traumatized and or addicts, and therefore emotionally unavailable to the needs of their children. There is very good research that shows a direct correlation between trauma and addiction, based on Adverse Childhood Effects (ACE factors). Also, the attack on our capital, the pandemic, the polarization in families, communities, and the country can cause trauma, individual and collective, and this can play out in depression, addiction, disassociation from how one feels, anger and violence -unhealthy choices and actions. Mia, I just wanted to bring up 'trauma' because I think it is a hugely important topic for police officer qualifications - and many other problems we are facing in our culture today. Thank You for speaking out on this, creating awareness, educating, and advocating for change at the cause levels of the problems we face.
Excellent information, Lisa. (1) What you wrote about PTSD is very likely apropos to police officers and the kind of work in which they are involved. I imagine that many officers can recount at least one situation in which they feared that their life was in danger. That certainly would affect the way a person performs his/her job. (2) Likewise, many officers were likely raised in abusive households -- just like tens of millions of other Americans were. That, too, is bound to affect performance. (3) Lastly, studies have shown that police are divided 50/50 between: sociopaths vs. people who genuinely want to help other people. (Incidentally, nearly the same statistics for ministers, fascinatingly enough!)
Kdsherpa…blessings for the writing today …needed the knowledge, guidance and care with which you
Share 🌹blessings …
Wish more people could
Learn from The Warnings
Comments & Steve’s choice of subjects and his
Article’s ..our country sends troops to war and conflicts BUT if military
Ask for mental health aid
Very often their careers
Stagnate or END.. any
Wonder WHY so many
ExMilitsry and police were
Part of the J6insurrection
Or the Oath Keepers and all of the KKK and paramilitary terror groups within our country …seeking Mental Health aid Should be valued by USA encouraged and respected
Yes, "Mental Health aid Should be valued by USA encouraged and respected" (not stigmatized by the police departments, military personnel and peers, or any faction in our society!) Thanks, Marsha:) XO
You make EXCELLENT, and very important, points that seeking help that an individual needs in order to perform their best in a job, can be the very thing that causes their downfall. So wrong!
God bless you Marsha. You are doing more good in a day than most people do in a lifetime. Please be good to yourself. (Can't make a heart. Don't know why -- but here are three: <3 <3 <3 !)
And still, even amidst our academic recognition of traumas we don't prioritize diagnosis and treatment, but more often apply superficial fixes/exercises, allowing the resulting distortion to propagate
Marlene, I think you are saying that some people who are attacked by police may be high on drugs which affects their behavior, and thus possibly the (EXTREME, in far too many cases) over-reaction by police? In my mind, this would be parallel to the number of untreated schizophrenic/psychotic patients whose behavior police misunderstand/misinterpret.
I’m speaking of police having trauma and self-medicating, not the “perpetrators.” A number of years ago, I worked on a grant to help reduce the incidence of alcohol use disorder & HIV transmission in some militaries of Central America & the Caribbean. In developing nations, a military job can include border security, disaster intervention & drug interdiction. These militaries had significant levels of PTSD, alcohol abuse & HIV transmission. I would love to research PTSD and alcohol & other drug use in police departments.
Thank you for clarifying: I’m speaking of police having trauma and self-medicating, not the “perpetrators.” I hope you can do research on PTSD/addiction in police departments in the U.S. It could be an integral part of finding causes for police brutality and for developing solutions for lasting change. Thanks.
Yes, when writing above I delayed wondering about WHO was affected by drug abuse and self-medication, because the tendency according to what is usually discussed publicly is that the victim of police brutality is the one with psychological problems and lacking psychiatric medication. I found it most important to interpret the cause and effect from another perspective. What is essential is to treat it as one problem and move away from a limited definition of Victim. And, definitely, address RAGE.
Sorry! I thought that you were writing to the Psychologist! I thinking that "helping" professions, where one person is in a "superior position" to the person being "helped" tend to attract two types of people: one group who truly wants to help; and another group who likes the imbalance of power. I don't think the statistics are so dire for doctors or nurses, but I have seen a few who are certainly not "caring". What are your thoughts?
That makes sense re: police. It scratches the authoritarian itch for some, the imbalance of power as you said.
I believe this also applies to ex military. So many seem to leave the service radicalized and unable to deal in a normal way with civilian life. And I’m not just talking about ones who are damaged from combat.
With all the education you have at your finger tips, I don’t see the assumption being supported in the same well documented way of the “likely self medicated”. It does not take a psychologist to understand we have poorly educated, somewhat (sometimes yes, sometimes no) criminal element losing their lives to police violence inflicted upon them. The level of response by police is escalating in the last years is obvious and not supported by the crimes being looked at in these pull over events.
For the families of the officers who murdered; the families of those who stood around v caring, what help, in your professional training and experience, for them?
Hi Joan. This is getting a bit confusing as I'm having difficulty knowing whether people are addressing me, or Marlene. I doubt that more than a few, if any, would seek out help. However, if a family member did so, I would want to know how they felt about what happened. Are they angry with the family member? do they feel ashamed of being related? etc. I would also want to know if a family member has been the object of physical and/or sexual and/or emotional abuse by one of the officers. I would want to know the same about other members of that family. That would be the starting point for me.
I wonder too if the Police Union is helping the families of the now fired personnel - tho' I'm guessing unless the family members are in the Union or connected otherwise, there is nothing to help. Or is the city? community? anyone reaching out?
Your starting points make sense. My point in posting was that looking at a community in crisis is looking at the entire community. Just as when a school shooting or other tragedy occurs, counseling is often provided, I wondered about this community.
Sorry to make it confusing - it was more a general post and addressed to anyone who was able to respond.
Your question was unexpected, but it shouldn't have been because it is a very wise one. I wonder if anyone ever gives a second thought to families of murderers. To my knowledge, most are shunned and no one talks about them. Shared blame, I'm assuming. Even the ones who apologize on behalf of their family member generally get a cursory statement about the apology. But that's it. I'm sure that many of them desperately need counseling too. I wonder if a union would think of the families in this situation, or if they would be pushed as far aside as possible to prevent "contamination".
In most cases, especially for shooters, the families are vilified because they made guns accessible. In other cases, what should society think or do? It's 'funny' you said my question was unexpected: it is what I think often when there are horrific events. Perhaps in this case more because like Tyre Nichols, the police were also Black and thus part of a community in which they too may have been targeted (even as police out of uniform) or someone in their families. There are so many uncomfortable and horrific aspects to this murder..............
It takes a priced teacher to teach us always a lesson. About sheriffs, I learned that usually it is the sheriff who is the top law-enforcement officer, in a country that has little more than three thousand. A sheriff, in the imagination of an eight-year old child, in a bilingual public school where Spanish is one of the two languages, where children are immigrant children most probably and recent, who does the sheriff represent for them? what does the presence of a sheriff represent? is it only in the imagination or lived experience? from television shows and movies? cartoons? comics? or at the border, arriving and crossing? or at the table back home during meals and hushed voices? when adults speak about shame and not for children's ears? The man wearing a badge over the heart who came to talk about safety to them certainly did not remember the allegiance taken, much less the words represented in the star if five-pointed, "friendship, guidance, honesty, integrity, and merit." Has not the gun violence in schools made Americans value the professions of the policeman and the teacher as par a par? Because above, once more, the teacher, you, knew more about law enforcement than the expert. Because you worked with children "at risk." Systemic risk. It is the violence of the street turned grotesque by the system that should protect citizens, especially the small ones in size and age. I commend you for the above.
Beautiful, and deeply insightful, response. BTW, I never knew that the five points on the star had any significance. If each officer had to recite them in unison every day, I wonder if things might get better.
Absolutely. By reciting their oaths, law enforcement officers would be reminded of why they serve. Whom. (There are different oaths, so interesting.) Or simply repeating the five words represented by this specific star (National Sheriffs' Association). The five-pointed star is one of several pointed stars used by sheriffs. Five points is historically older in meaning. You know, magical powers.
I had never heard of NVC (or not in those terms) before. This absolutely should be a requirement in EVERY classroom, in EVERY school, for EVERY grade a child attends. Why have I never heard of this every being discussed before??!
Yes policing is a dangerous job, but in a list of dangerous jobs it ranks closer to 20th than near the top of the list, where you find logging, aircraft piloting, electric line work, mining, foundry work and garbage collection. The issue with abusive policing is not hard to figure out. We have a society build on avaricious acquisition, with decreasing regard for resolving the social inequalities and disruption caused by the deification of our win at all cost mentality. Naturally this Neo-Calvinism creates a large class of “losers.” And we need strong policing to protect us from this jetsam our society has created.
So how does Andy Griffin become Rambo?
1) Ignore the social ills that extreme wealth inequality and a history of institutional racism has caused.
2) Feed the myth that the police are the only thing standing between civil society and chaos.
3) Allow the creation of concentration of political power in the guild representing police.
4) Use the above in a feedback loop that results in capture of the legislative process.
The solution is clear: address the social issues and break the myth’s hold on the public. I’d start by putting the “dangerous” nature of policing in the proper context.
There are various kinds of "dangers" in various types of work. Interestingly, I just read an interview with a logger (sometimes listed as the most dangerous work of all) in which he said that he has the best job in the world: "I get to be outside in the woods all day. I feel so relaxed, so at home." I doubt that any police officer could say the same! Nor is "stress" the same as danger (pilot, doctor, foundry work, etc.) Your thoughts?
I’m not an expert in occupational hazards, but is seems that deaths per 100,000 is a reasonably objective measure. What I can speak to is the hazards in a foundry, as I worked in one for two years to earn money for college. Working in 100+ degrees that caused people to faint near crucibles of molten metal, with complexity controlled, hydraulic powered steel devices weighting ten of tons too frequently causing hideous crushing injuries, and jets of liquid metal occasionally burning holes in my coworkers—that was a bit stressful. But if I lived in the Northwest, instead of the Midwest, and had to deal with the body count as a logger, I probably would have borrowed more money and gone to college sooner.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
We all have levels of stress in our jobs, some are kind of cushy, ‘will I have a large enough bonus so that I can continue to send my child to the Ivy League?’ Others are more urgent, ‘if I complain about safety conditions, will I be fired and ultimately lose everything?’ My point in the earlier comment to Steve’s well-targeted post is that law enforcement is tasked with cleaning up the mess that our society so carelessly overlooks and that the unjustified elevation of their occupation is based on exaggerated risk.
While I have the hood up, I’d like to add that you can’t add quality to a broken process, so it’s going to be difficult to have additional governance “police the police.” Governance for overseeing police reside in the appropriate executive, legislative, and ultimately, judicial branches. Addressing corruption at this level seems at least part of the solution. I’d start with removing most of the money from campaigns.
Glad you couldn't resist! My smile for today! :-) What a tough, tough job people working in foundries have, and anyone who doesn't work in one has no idea. Thank you for telling your story. Also, what you write in your last paragraph is totally spot-on.
We need police who are willing and able to go into a school with an active shooter to save the lives of children. We don't need police to be harassing ordinary citizens because of a broken tail light. We need police who live in the communities they serve, who are engaged as citizens of those communities, and who fundamentally see their role as protecting and helping people; not "keeping them in line." Their performance evaluations need to be based on things like community involvement; not ticket quotas. The very concept of the "thin blue line" suggests an "us against them" attitude that is completely revolting. Too many police are taught to demand respect. They need to be taught how to earn respect. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt for the press/media to focus a bit more on the actions of good cops. They desperately need positive reinforcement and it can only help to give them some.
Agreed - the militaristic model of policing is hideous, and the confrontational, hostile mindset it creates. There have been lots of studies on the benefits of community policing as much more appropriate, especially in minority or mixed neighbourhoods.
I agree! 60 minutes had a great segment a while ago about a police force, in the US (sadly, I cannot remember the state), that was implementing a community approach to policing including psychologists and social workers. They were training departments from other states to use their techniques. So, I feel hopeful that there are thoughtful, progressive minds working on these problems (not defunding them).
But one of the dynamics at play here is that when they initially start their career, most do so for the right reasons. Lifelong ambition, wanting to help the community, etc
Then the job changes them. 3-4 years of dealing with a-holes and violent offenders wears them down.
Maybe ongoing psychological vetting (and training and ed) are what’s needed
I couldn’t believe that ex military tanks etc go to cops. WTF for? Are they expecting a war in downtown xyz. Get this equipment out of the hands of cops.
What’s the training, mental assessments and fitness tests needed?
One of the problems (and I'm saying ONE - there are many) with policing in the US is the prevalence, in the general population, of firearms. Every time a cop stops someone, they must anticipate the possibility of that person pulling a gun on them. As a result, they are perpetually on edge - with lethal force just around the corner, and the "need" for units called "Scorpion". We'd be idiots for thinking that readiness for violence doesn't leave a mark on people's psyche - when every problem looks like a nail, the hammer will always be on hand.
We are also part of the problem. As citizens, we believed our shores were impenetrable. We believed we were safe. We have been groomed to focus on the terrorist abroad and we failed to see the rise of terrorism within our communities. Citizens routinely re-elect the "groomers".
At my age, I can state from experience, a "duck and cover" drill never induced fear like an active shooter lockdown.
My niece, who is in her 40's, has taught 6th grade for over 20 years. She says that her students live in a constant state of tension, not knowing whether or not a gunman would come into their school. It broke my heart. (She is from a state, KY, which was trying to pass a bill that all teachers had to be armed!! She said, "Hell, NO!!!) May I ask your age?
Fully agree, except that I question whether they really need to stop people so often, especially for traffic violations. I recently got a speeding ticket (for going 36 mph in school zone at 10 pm). It came in the mail after I was caught on some kind of video cam. Even included a photo of my car/license plate. No cop had to stop me.
Great piece and comments. I retired from one of the best police departments in the country. Midway through my 25 year career 9/11 happened. Game changer. Cops started thinking of themselves as the “thin blue line” and militarized themselves mentally (general statement).
“Them versus us” posture became pervasive. Bullet proof vests moved from inside the shirt to outside. Rifles started to make their way in to cruisers.
Loved the juxtaposed pics: Maybury and Militarized. So important that we arrest this (pun intended). Think “Brain vs Brawn” and “Strength vs Might” and many solutions to the challenges of modern policing can be found. Politicians must stop caving into law enforcement’s (easily understood) exaggerated claims of criminal threat. We must push for Decriminalization of drugs and sex work and refocus our law enforcement resources toward the actual safety issues that we face today. (Cops will not even put a dent in the opioid crisis, BTW)
We must also remember that police rarely stop crime. Good parenting, friendship, neighborly citizenry, smart phones, camera surveillance, other tech and even pet dogs are our first and best lines of defense.
Let’s zoom out. The money spent on military and on policing in the country is beyond comprehension. We’ve militarized local and state police departments because of increased violent crime as if the answer is to meet violence with violence while ignoring the causes. Steve’s article helps to see the madness of our present path. Just reforming the police without addressing gun and drug proliferation wont work. There are worldwide examples of societies that are implementing more holistic approaches and finding success.
Thank you for your insight into a problem of the evolution of the police department. You make a great point about structuring the department after the fire department and not the military. Our police forces do not need assault vehicles or assault tactics when dealing with the public. We are not a police state. However, these specialized tactical groups would have you believe we live in the Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan and an attack is imminent.
Violent crimes have become more prevalent with more guns being distributed onto our streets. We need comprehensive new gun laws and regulations to combat this ottracity, not combat troops. I don't have a problem with responsible gun ownership but I do have a problem with the arsenal of automatic weaponry that is readily available on the open market. The 2nd Ammendment gives us the right to bear arms but that right must be regulated by the States and in Washington.
We have the most mass shooting incidents of any nation to go along with the most firearms. That should tell us the reason why we have the most mass shootings. It is not rocket science that is needed to solve the problem but common sense.
Nailed it, Steve. I've been saying this since the dawn of this century. I'm sure you remember the Elian Gonzalez case, the seven-year-old child who was the subject of a custody case between families in Cuba and the US. Remember that April 22, 2000, photo of an INS swat officer, wearing full military battle rattle, goggles on his face, with an assault weapon pointed at Donato Dalrymple (he rescued Elian from the ocean), who was holding the terrified and crying child? My dear fellow readers, look up Elian Gonzalez and find that photo.
Police should be of the people, by the people, and for the people. In some places in the United States, they are. In too many places, they are not. Andy and Barney are the right role models. I would also suggest the Italian Carabinieri. They are revered by the Italian people. Check out the "Carabinieri" homepage on Facebook. Here is a post from about five days ago:
"Bread is a symbol of life and everyday life. And in Visso, a small town in an impervious area between the Sibillini Mountains in the province of Macerata, hard hit by the earthquake of 2016, is the van of a bakery delivering it directly to the homes of the only 46 inhabitants left living in the wooden houses built for the emergency. But yesterday, because of a heavy snowfall, the van couldn't start. It was Carabinieri from the local Station going door to door to check if people, almost all elderly, needed anything. And they even returned the smile to an 80-year-old man, bringing him bread he had left without. A good and simple gesture, just like bread."
There is no doubt in my mind that policing is the hardest public service job there is. But it is in urgent need of reform, as you eloquently write. The failure to grasp the importance of such a public service across the country must bring pressure from within the forces that struggle to maintain a needed image of respect towards policing, a high risk job as it is and needing the funding that so much lesser occupations already have. The imbalance is astounding. And, when it comes to images impressed in my mind, I can not but wonder what an effect they have upon others who would take the wrong approach when addressing local engagement with their own police departments. How can administrators bring back the confidence among citizens when what is impressed morally in the many who will never forget Uvalde, George Floyd under the knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, Tyre Nichols being raised from the floor and pulled up against a car's side, the execution wall, to allow the brutal force of police punches strike the target, a man's already limp and massacred body at their mercy to deface with no chance given to such brutality the shock of repentance?
From your mouth to my ears. Love the love! Genuine. And the various "forces" of the police! I mean, a village police has the respect in the name all over. You know it is the quality of its citizens, a community at work for all. Must visit your Long Island one day. You must visit our Island, "Isla sabrosa, valiosa y abundante."
Had to read some more about Long Island to understand what I misunderstood. A large population of 8.1 million, a third of NYC. A median income in 2021 of $112,000. An approximately 60% lower crime rate than New York City and 80% lower than the average national rate, a blessing for lack of a better word. It is a major touristic destination. It has attracted many residents from other areas in NYC. Thanks for ticking my curiosity!
Sounds like Shangri-La. The avererge cost of living where you live for one person is almost 3800/mo as well. That's really high. And it's 86% white so almost zero diversity. So no wonder.
The bastion of policing is ensnarled within a losing framework girded by poor wages, murky job parameters, inconsistent and uncohesive administrative messaging, interspersed with infusion of supremacist contingents, punctuated purposeful militarization, under-training and lowered recruiting numbers leading to relaxed hiring parameters.
Add to that increasing peril of targeted execution.
In total, a perfect storm of roiling inconsistency at best that surely needs prompt overhaul for everyone's sake.
When American citizens were allowed to arm themselves like a military soldier, the militarization of America began and our police went with that mentality nationwide. I distinctly remember seeing a news flash of significance concerning armed men trying to rob a bank in California and the police being outgunned, https://youtu.be/I_1IvZFwj0M . Shortly thereafter the police were buying military equipment and arming themselves with military grade weapons. I am saying that it was not the police who initiated the militarization of America, it was American politicians who allowed this carnage.
We speak so much of change and, yet, we are like babies learning everything anew when, in truth, we have already all what it takes to build the world that most want (and convince ourselves that it can be done). There will always be contrarians, those who destroy for their own use and satisfaction. And scream and scream and scream, even if the tone is natural and the volume is low. An example. Today, Chuck Todd interviewed Jim Jordan. The Ohio Republican did not answer, but spoke. Chuck Todd persevered. With facts. Jim Jordan gave a speech at intervals, back and forth. With an emotionless smile. Jim Jordan has never listened to the natural land he walks on. To build upon dreams, instead, is what America was founded upon. First came the dreamers, but then came those who stopped dreaming. The story does not end with them. We believe wholeheartedly in renewal. It will take courage and endurance. And specific strategies. You state one above. I do not have the expertise to answer, but maybe someone else does.
Y’ll know I’m a mental health professional. To become a “talk” therapist, I had to get 8 years of higher education, do thousands of hours of supervised counseling, take an exam, procure licensure & professional liability insurance. Generally, psychologists can’t write prescriptions. To be an NP who can write prescriptions after my PhD, I did 4 more years of training & more free supervised clinical hours, took 2 exams, licensure (as an RN & an NP), DEA licensure & another controlled substance certificate, more liability insurance. Then there are continuing education requirements. If I were young enough to become a police officer, the training & ed required is a pitiable fraction with no licensure requirements & my record would not be publicly verifiable like all of my current ones. This is a$$ backwards.
Some of what I see in the unarmed people who die in a hale of police fire is a history of trauma some of which is likely self-medicated. We can reform policing in America with more stringent training requirements, require background checks, psych evals, & a screen of social media accounts. POs should be licensed & their record publicly visible. Officers need to be in regular counseling & screened for acute stress disorder, PTSD & substance use disorders. The public and the profession deserve this at least.
First, this Memphis story is just getting going. There will be more victims coming forward. And it will be ugly
Secondly, there’s another problem no one talks about and that’s the ex military personnel who get radicalized while serving. Why isn’t there a mandatory exit program complete with a psych evaluation and ongoing therapy?
I’m shocked at the number of vets who participated violently in the J6 riot.
Secretary Austin, what are you doing about this?
Yes, the radicalization of veterans, as those involved in the January 6 Insurrection and other groups around the country, alarms us who see it. We, the ones who can become victims of it. The Department of Defense and the military, are they as concerned as us citizens? Why has Mike Flynn not been court-martialed by now? Is he under an ongoing investigation or... whitewashing? How about his affront to the authorities he was trained to protect and defend as he trains his own paramilitary army protected under the mantle of the Governor of Florida?
Critical concerns at this time in the life of our nation. Yes, Flynn SHOULD be in jail, and for a very very long time. And yes, IS General Austin aware of and doing anything about what's going on with current and former military troops' involvement in sedition?
Thank you for asking about Flynn. This query demands an answer.
I listen to a podcast called "Midnight Miracle" it's not (at all) what I assumed it would be. It's hosted by Dave Chappelle, Yasmin Bey (a rapper whose stage name was Mos Def) & Talib Kwame. They have a variety of guest. The topics are funny, provocative thoughtful. Their discussion of police: acknowledged that police see the absolute worst society has to offer but have to support system to deal with what they are exposed to. They weren't excusing them. They were just acknowledging what we all know. We'll soon learn how many times these cops over aggressive conduct was validated by that system.
I have lifelong family friends on the force who have become a shadow of the men I once knew. I hate they stayed on the force but marriages, mortgages, etc., made leaving a challenge, especially for a guy with just a hugh school diploma. Anyway: check out "Midnight Miracle."
An article in today's (or maybe 2/1) Washington Post said that of those involved, there were reports of other like behavior. I didn't read it thoroughly enough to know toward whom and when. Thank you for the podcast recommendation.
Are there statistics to know of how many former military service members are serving in local law enforcement? In the ranks of both - military and police - reading shows radicalization and trauma leading to PTSD.
The military and law enforcement are in need of qualified personnel, well screened and trained and available of counseling - and encouraged to avail themselves of it - as noted by superb posts among this discussion.
Bodies don’t mean qualifications.
Is this part of the discussion, locally and federally?
There is no doubt that there are no equivalencies between a professional career founded on higher education as yours is, with the added ongoing education, licensing and the accountability that comes with it by requiring liability insurance. I find it most telling that your expertise actually contributes to the conversation in question, that is the delayed and relayed reality about police officers' substance abuse and self medication. And you have therefore the authority to speak about the licensure requirements. We should all repeat everything that you list as needed to "reform policing in America."
We are not a trauma-informed society, generally speaking. Many people think that PTSD just happens to war veterans or people who have a serious car accident, for instance. Many children are traumatized at a pre-cognitive age, due to neglect, violence in the home, or parents who are traumatized and or addicts, and therefore emotionally unavailable to the needs of their children. There is very good research that shows a direct correlation between trauma and addiction, based on Adverse Childhood Effects (ACE factors). Also, the attack on our capital, the pandemic, the polarization in families, communities, and the country can cause trauma, individual and collective, and this can play out in depression, addiction, disassociation from how one feels, anger and violence -unhealthy choices and actions. Mia, I just wanted to bring up 'trauma' because I think it is a hugely important topic for police officer qualifications - and many other problems we are facing in our culture today. Thank You for speaking out on this, creating awareness, educating, and advocating for change at the cause levels of the problems we face.
Excellent information, Lisa. (1) What you wrote about PTSD is very likely apropos to police officers and the kind of work in which they are involved. I imagine that many officers can recount at least one situation in which they feared that their life was in danger. That certainly would affect the way a person performs his/her job. (2) Likewise, many officers were likely raised in abusive households -- just like tens of millions of other Americans were. That, too, is bound to affect performance. (3) Lastly, studies have shown that police are divided 50/50 between: sociopaths vs. people who genuinely want to help other people. (Incidentally, nearly the same statistics for ministers, fascinatingly enough!)
Kdsherpa…blessings for the writing today …needed the knowledge, guidance and care with which you
Share 🌹blessings …
Wish more people could
Learn from The Warnings
Comments & Steve’s choice of subjects and his
Article’s ..our country sends troops to war and conflicts BUT if military
Ask for mental health aid
Very often their careers
Stagnate or END.. any
Wonder WHY so many
ExMilitsry and police were
Part of the J6insurrection
Or the Oath Keepers and all of the KKK and paramilitary terror groups within our country …seeking Mental Health aid Should be valued by USA encouraged and respected
…my life is enriched this evening BLESSED Day🌹
Yes, "Mental Health aid Should be valued by USA encouraged and respected" (not stigmatized by the police departments, military personnel and peers, or any faction in our society!) Thanks, Marsha:) XO
You make EXCELLENT, and very important, points that seeking help that an individual needs in order to perform their best in a job, can be the very thing that causes their downfall. So wrong!
Sociopaths are 50% of police? Now that’s a really scary thought.
Lisa …after long day of Hospice counseling reading
N.Zampierollo.Kdsherpa &
Lisa Beardsley..know why I connect in my heart and soul
With the three of you when you comment ❤️Blessings
God bless you Marsha. You are doing more good in a day than most people do in a lifetime. Please be good to yourself. (Can't make a heart. Don't know why -- but here are three: <3 <3 <3 !)
Marsha, Your Generosity, Love, and Care is a Gift to So Many -to this World! XO!
And still, even amidst our academic recognition of traumas we don't prioritize diagnosis and treatment, but more often apply superficial fixes/exercises, allowing the resulting distortion to propagate
N.Zampierollo ..worked for eight hours at Hospice today just now getting the privilege of reading
Your writing 🌹🌹🌹blessings
Eight hours, Marsha. Yours is the most precious of work today. Your words and roses I treasure. Blessings from both of us.
N.Zampierollo…just rereading some of your inspirational,knowledgeable
Words of wisdom that I hold in high
Regard…I’m so grateful you are my
Guiding light of graceful kindness…
Sending love to you and your mother
Never blessed with a daughter But
I loved my own mother the way you love yours XO 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
And remunerate them accordingly, if not in salary, in benefits-in-kind.
Excellent suggestion! (Cash is usually most appreciated!)
Marlene, I think you are saying that some people who are attacked by police may be high on drugs which affects their behavior, and thus possibly the (EXTREME, in far too many cases) over-reaction by police? In my mind, this would be parallel to the number of untreated schizophrenic/psychotic patients whose behavior police misunderstand/misinterpret.
I’m speaking of police having trauma and self-medicating, not the “perpetrators.” A number of years ago, I worked on a grant to help reduce the incidence of alcohol use disorder & HIV transmission in some militaries of Central America & the Caribbean. In developing nations, a military job can include border security, disaster intervention & drug interdiction. These militaries had significant levels of PTSD, alcohol abuse & HIV transmission. I would love to research PTSD and alcohol & other drug use in police departments.
Thank you for clarifying: I’m speaking of police having trauma and self-medicating, not the “perpetrators.” I hope you can do research on PTSD/addiction in police departments in the U.S. It could be an integral part of finding causes for police brutality and for developing solutions for lasting change. Thanks.
Yes, when writing above I delayed wondering about WHO was affected by drug abuse and self-medication, because the tendency according to what is usually discussed publicly is that the victim of police brutality is the one with psychological problems and lacking psychiatric medication. I found it most important to interpret the cause and effect from another perspective. What is essential is to treat it as one problem and move away from a limited definition of Victim. And, definitely, address RAGE.
Well expressed!
I made the comment that "most men/women/ get into policing for the right reasons; service to the community, etc"
Someone replied and wrote that per studies, only 50% do; the other 50% test as sociopaths"
That shocks me, and explains a lot
As a MD/Psychiatrist, any insight?
(Hi, Michael, I am an MD Psychiatrist.)
Right. That’s why I asked you if you had any keen insight as to why so many sociopaths flock to policing?
Sorry! I thought that you were writing to the Psychologist! I thinking that "helping" professions, where one person is in a "superior position" to the person being "helped" tend to attract two types of people: one group who truly wants to help; and another group who likes the imbalance of power. I don't think the statistics are so dire for doctors or nurses, but I have seen a few who are certainly not "caring". What are your thoughts?
That makes sense re: police. It scratches the authoritarian itch for some, the imbalance of power as you said.
I believe this also applies to ex military. So many seem to leave the service radicalized and unable to deal in a normal way with civilian life. And I’m not just talking about ones who are damaged from combat.
With all the education you have at your finger tips, I don’t see the assumption being supported in the same well documented way of the “likely self medicated”. It does not take a psychologist to understand we have poorly educated, somewhat (sometimes yes, sometimes no) criminal element losing their lives to police violence inflicted upon them. The level of response by police is escalating in the last years is obvious and not supported by the crimes being looked at in these pull over events.
Hi Gari! See my response to Marlene (just below yours, I think?) P.S. I am an MD psychiatrist.
Thanks.
Some of this can be attributed to the pressures of overpopulation.
For the families of the officers who murdered; the families of those who stood around v caring, what help, in your professional training and experience, for them?
Hi Joan. This is getting a bit confusing as I'm having difficulty knowing whether people are addressing me, or Marlene. I doubt that more than a few, if any, would seek out help. However, if a family member did so, I would want to know how they felt about what happened. Are they angry with the family member? do they feel ashamed of being related? etc. I would also want to know if a family member has been the object of physical and/or sexual and/or emotional abuse by one of the officers. I would want to know the same about other members of that family. That would be the starting point for me.
I wonder too if the Police Union is helping the families of the now fired personnel - tho' I'm guessing unless the family members are in the Union or connected otherwise, there is nothing to help. Or is the city? community? anyone reaching out?
Your starting points make sense. My point in posting was that looking at a community in crisis is looking at the entire community. Just as when a school shooting or other tragedy occurs, counseling is often provided, I wondered about this community.
Sorry to make it confusing - it was more a general post and addressed to anyone who was able to respond.
It's on my mind to help others.
Your question was unexpected, but it shouldn't have been because it is a very wise one. I wonder if anyone ever gives a second thought to families of murderers. To my knowledge, most are shunned and no one talks about them. Shared blame, I'm assuming. Even the ones who apologize on behalf of their family member generally get a cursory statement about the apology. But that's it. I'm sure that many of them desperately need counseling too. I wonder if a union would think of the families in this situation, or if they would be pushed as far aside as possible to prevent "contamination".
In most cases, especially for shooters, the families are vilified because they made guns accessible. In other cases, what should society think or do? It's 'funny' you said my question was unexpected: it is what I think often when there are horrific events. Perhaps in this case more because like Tyre Nichols, the police were also Black and thus part of a community in which they too may have been targeted (even as police out of uniform) or someone in their families. There are so many uncomfortable and horrific aspects to this murder..............
Is the federal gov't ever in a position to make laws that cover all police depts? Supposing a study was ever done and measures ever agreed upon?
It takes a priced teacher to teach us always a lesson. About sheriffs, I learned that usually it is the sheriff who is the top law-enforcement officer, in a country that has little more than three thousand. A sheriff, in the imagination of an eight-year old child, in a bilingual public school where Spanish is one of the two languages, where children are immigrant children most probably and recent, who does the sheriff represent for them? what does the presence of a sheriff represent? is it only in the imagination or lived experience? from television shows and movies? cartoons? comics? or at the border, arriving and crossing? or at the table back home during meals and hushed voices? when adults speak about shame and not for children's ears? The man wearing a badge over the heart who came to talk about safety to them certainly did not remember the allegiance taken, much less the words represented in the star if five-pointed, "friendship, guidance, honesty, integrity, and merit." Has not the gun violence in schools made Americans value the professions of the policeman and the teacher as par a par? Because above, once more, the teacher, you, knew more about law enforcement than the expert. Because you worked with children "at risk." Systemic risk. It is the violence of the street turned grotesque by the system that should protect citizens, especially the small ones in size and age. I commend you for the above.
Beautiful, and deeply insightful, response. BTW, I never knew that the five points on the star had any significance. If each officer had to recite them in unison every day, I wonder if things might get better.
Absolutely. By reciting their oaths, law enforcement officers would be reminded of why they serve. Whom. (There are different oaths, so interesting.) Or simply repeating the five words represented by this specific star (National Sheriffs' Association). The five-pointed star is one of several pointed stars used by sheriffs. Five points is historically older in meaning. You know, magical powers.
So he was just making a big joke of the whole thing? How disheartening!
It’s a very different world. It’s easy to forget or wish it away. But it is a fact.
What kids are forced to deal with is heartbreaking. But they need to be equipped because of folks not letting go of the past. We need a radical peace.
I have been saying for a decade..".Less Rambo and More Andy Griffith"
I had never heard of NVC (or not in those terms) before. This absolutely should be a requirement in EVERY classroom, in EVERY school, for EVERY grade a child attends. Why have I never heard of this every being discussed before??!
What a beautiful world it could be if NVC became second-nature to school children.
Yes policing is a dangerous job, but in a list of dangerous jobs it ranks closer to 20th than near the top of the list, where you find logging, aircraft piloting, electric line work, mining, foundry work and garbage collection. The issue with abusive policing is not hard to figure out. We have a society build on avaricious acquisition, with decreasing regard for resolving the social inequalities and disruption caused by the deification of our win at all cost mentality. Naturally this Neo-Calvinism creates a large class of “losers.” And we need strong policing to protect us from this jetsam our society has created.
So how does Andy Griffin become Rambo?
1) Ignore the social ills that extreme wealth inequality and a history of institutional racism has caused.
2) Feed the myth that the police are the only thing standing between civil society and chaos.
3) Allow the creation of concentration of political power in the guild representing police.
4) Use the above in a feedback loop that results in capture of the legislative process.
The solution is clear: address the social issues and break the myth’s hold on the public. I’d start by putting the “dangerous” nature of policing in the proper context.
There are various kinds of "dangers" in various types of work. Interestingly, I just read an interview with a logger (sometimes listed as the most dangerous work of all) in which he said that he has the best job in the world: "I get to be outside in the woods all day. I feel so relaxed, so at home." I doubt that any police officer could say the same! Nor is "stress" the same as danger (pilot, doctor, foundry work, etc.) Your thoughts?
I’m not an expert in occupational hazards, but is seems that deaths per 100,000 is a reasonably objective measure. What I can speak to is the hazards in a foundry, as I worked in one for two years to earn money for college. Working in 100+ degrees that caused people to faint near crucibles of molten metal, with complexity controlled, hydraulic powered steel devices weighting ten of tons too frequently causing hideous crushing injuries, and jets of liquid metal occasionally burning holes in my coworkers—that was a bit stressful. But if I lived in the Northwest, instead of the Midwest, and had to deal with the body count as a logger, I probably would have borrowed more money and gone to college sooner.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
We all have levels of stress in our jobs, some are kind of cushy, ‘will I have a large enough bonus so that I can continue to send my child to the Ivy League?’ Others are more urgent, ‘if I complain about safety conditions, will I be fired and ultimately lose everything?’ My point in the earlier comment to Steve’s well-targeted post is that law enforcement is tasked with cleaning up the mess that our society so carelessly overlooks and that the unjustified elevation of their occupation is based on exaggerated risk.
While I have the hood up, I’d like to add that you can’t add quality to a broken process, so it’s going to be difficult to have additional governance “police the police.” Governance for overseeing police reside in the appropriate executive, legislative, and ultimately, judicial branches. Addressing corruption at this level seems at least part of the solution. I’d start with removing most of the money from campaigns.
Glad you couldn't resist! My smile for today! :-) What a tough, tough job people working in foundries have, and anyone who doesn't work in one has no idea. Thank you for telling your story. Also, what you write in your last paragraph is totally spot-on.
Yes, Spot-On!
Roger, Roger! You nailed it on several fronts. Please push these TRUTHS as best you can and thank you
WOW!!!
Yes many more lives at risk in the teaching profession. That’s a truly awesome responsibility.
We need police who are willing and able to go into a school with an active shooter to save the lives of children. We don't need police to be harassing ordinary citizens because of a broken tail light. We need police who live in the communities they serve, who are engaged as citizens of those communities, and who fundamentally see their role as protecting and helping people; not "keeping them in line." Their performance evaluations need to be based on things like community involvement; not ticket quotas. The very concept of the "thin blue line" suggests an "us against them" attitude that is completely revolting. Too many police are taught to demand respect. They need to be taught how to earn respect. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt for the press/media to focus a bit more on the actions of good cops. They desperately need positive reinforcement and it can only help to give them some.
Agreed - the militaristic model of policing is hideous, and the confrontational, hostile mindset it creates. There have been lots of studies on the benefits of community policing as much more appropriate, especially in minority or mixed neighbourhoods.
Vince! Spot on! Thank you!
I agree! 60 minutes had a great segment a while ago about a police force, in the US (sadly, I cannot remember the state), that was implementing a community approach to policing including psychologists and social workers. They were training departments from other states to use their techniques. So, I feel hopeful that there are thoughtful, progressive minds working on these problems (not defunding them).
Issuing a badge and a gun to anyone who has not psycologically veted, professionally trained and well paid is obviously a formula for dissaster.
I agree
But one of the dynamics at play here is that when they initially start their career, most do so for the right reasons. Lifelong ambition, wanting to help the community, etc
Then the job changes them. 3-4 years of dealing with a-holes and violent offenders wears them down.
Maybe ongoing psychological vetting (and training and ed) are what’s needed
50/50 -- according to studies. 50% go into the field wanting to help others. The other 50% test as sociopaths.
Wow. Is that true? That is an alarmingly high and dangerous number
These are studies from the 1980's, so hopefully very outdated.
Really would like to see the citation on this one.
Yikes!
I couldn’t believe that ex military tanks etc go to cops. WTF for? Are they expecting a war in downtown xyz. Get this equipment out of the hands of cops.
What’s the training, mental assessments and fitness tests needed?
Who patrols cops?
More disturbing are the large % of men and women who leave the military totally radicalized.
How many of these types did we see play big roles in J6?
Again, Fox News plays a role. As I understand it, that raw sewage in on 24/7 on military bases.
One of the problems (and I'm saying ONE - there are many) with policing in the US is the prevalence, in the general population, of firearms. Every time a cop stops someone, they must anticipate the possibility of that person pulling a gun on them. As a result, they are perpetually on edge - with lethal force just around the corner, and the "need" for units called "Scorpion". We'd be idiots for thinking that readiness for violence doesn't leave a mark on people's psyche - when every problem looks like a nail, the hammer will always be on hand.
You're correct. Firearms in the hands of citizens is a lethal threat to police AND to members of the community they swore to protect.
As we all saw at the Capitol on January 6th, police officers should never be outgunned by a "right to bear arms" citizen.
So why aren't we, along with police unions, management, families and communities, demanding Congress pass gun legislation?
Why? I would answer: republicants
Yes, they are part of the problem.
We are also part of the problem. As citizens, we believed our shores were impenetrable. We believed we were safe. We have been groomed to focus on the terrorist abroad and we failed to see the rise of terrorism within our communities. Citizens routinely re-elect the "groomers".
At my age, I can state from experience, a "duck and cover" drill never induced fear like an active shooter lockdown.
My niece, who is in her 40's, has taught 6th grade for over 20 years. She says that her students live in a constant state of tension, not knowing whether or not a gunman would come into their school. It broke my heart. (She is from a state, KY, which was trying to pass a bill that all teachers had to be armed!! She said, "Hell, NO!!!) May I ask your age?
Fully agree, except that I question whether they really need to stop people so often, especially for traffic violations. I recently got a speeding ticket (for going 36 mph in school zone at 10 pm). It came in the mail after I was caught on some kind of video cam. Even included a photo of my car/license plate. No cop had to stop me.
Canuck 21 -- EXCELLENT POINT!!!
Great piece and comments. I retired from one of the best police departments in the country. Midway through my 25 year career 9/11 happened. Game changer. Cops started thinking of themselves as the “thin blue line” and militarized themselves mentally (general statement).
“Them versus us” posture became pervasive. Bullet proof vests moved from inside the shirt to outside. Rifles started to make their way in to cruisers.
Loved the juxtaposed pics: Maybury and Militarized. So important that we arrest this (pun intended). Think “Brain vs Brawn” and “Strength vs Might” and many solutions to the challenges of modern policing can be found. Politicians must stop caving into law enforcement’s (easily understood) exaggerated claims of criminal threat. We must push for Decriminalization of drugs and sex work and refocus our law enforcement resources toward the actual safety issues that we face today. (Cops will not even put a dent in the opioid crisis, BTW)
We must also remember that police rarely stop crime. Good parenting, friendship, neighborly citizenry, smart phones, camera surveillance, other tech and even pet dogs are our first and best lines of defense.
Thank you, Paul, for your service and for the important insights and suggestions you offer here..
Let’s zoom out. The money spent on military and on policing in the country is beyond comprehension. We’ve militarized local and state police departments because of increased violent crime as if the answer is to meet violence with violence while ignoring the causes. Steve’s article helps to see the madness of our present path. Just reforming the police without addressing gun and drug proliferation wont work. There are worldwide examples of societies that are implementing more holistic approaches and finding success.
Wrong question, we should asking How?
Thank you for your insight into a problem of the evolution of the police department. You make a great point about structuring the department after the fire department and not the military. Our police forces do not need assault vehicles or assault tactics when dealing with the public. We are not a police state. However, these specialized tactical groups would have you believe we live in the Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan and an attack is imminent.
Violent crimes have become more prevalent with more guns being distributed onto our streets. We need comprehensive new gun laws and regulations to combat this ottracity, not combat troops. I don't have a problem with responsible gun ownership but I do have a problem with the arsenal of automatic weaponry that is readily available on the open market. The 2nd Ammendment gives us the right to bear arms but that right must be regulated by the States and in Washington.
We have the most mass shooting incidents of any nation to go along with the most firearms. That should tell us the reason why we have the most mass shootings. It is not rocket science that is needed to solve the problem but common sense.
Nailed it, Steve. I've been saying this since the dawn of this century. I'm sure you remember the Elian Gonzalez case, the seven-year-old child who was the subject of a custody case between families in Cuba and the US. Remember that April 22, 2000, photo of an INS swat officer, wearing full military battle rattle, goggles on his face, with an assault weapon pointed at Donato Dalrymple (he rescued Elian from the ocean), who was holding the terrified and crying child? My dear fellow readers, look up Elian Gonzalez and find that photo.
Police should be of the people, by the people, and for the people. In some places in the United States, they are. In too many places, they are not. Andy and Barney are the right role models. I would also suggest the Italian Carabinieri. They are revered by the Italian people. Check out the "Carabinieri" homepage on Facebook. Here is a post from about five days ago:
"Bread is a symbol of life and everyday life. And in Visso, a small town in an impervious area between the Sibillini Mountains in the province of Macerata, hard hit by the earthquake of 2016, is the van of a bakery delivering it directly to the homes of the only 46 inhabitants left living in the wooden houses built for the emergency. But yesterday, because of a heavy snowfall, the van couldn't start. It was Carabinieri from the local Station going door to door to check if people, almost all elderly, needed anything. And they even returned the smile to an 80-year-old man, bringing him bread he had left without. A good and simple gesture, just like bread."
Of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Wow -thank you, Rick, for this valuable and inspiring information!
Thank you, Lisa!
There is no doubt in my mind that policing is the hardest public service job there is. But it is in urgent need of reform, as you eloquently write. The failure to grasp the importance of such a public service across the country must bring pressure from within the forces that struggle to maintain a needed image of respect towards policing, a high risk job as it is and needing the funding that so much lesser occupations already have. The imbalance is astounding. And, when it comes to images impressed in my mind, I can not but wonder what an effect they have upon others who would take the wrong approach when addressing local engagement with their own police departments. How can administrators bring back the confidence among citizens when what is impressed morally in the many who will never forget Uvalde, George Floyd under the knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, Tyre Nichols being raised from the floor and pulled up against a car's side, the execution wall, to allow the brutal force of police punches strike the target, a man's already limp and massacred body at their mercy to deface with no chance given to such brutality the shock of repentance?
From your mouth to my ears. Love the love! Genuine. And the various "forces" of the police! I mean, a village police has the respect in the name all over. You know it is the quality of its citizens, a community at work for all. Must visit your Long Island one day. You must visit our Island, "Isla sabrosa, valiosa y abundante."
(I've wondered for a long time where you are from! Maybe now it's OK to ask! Hadn't wanted to be intrusive.)
Me, too. I'm curious - now going to do some research on Isla Sabrosa!
Had to read some more about Long Island to understand what I misunderstood. A large population of 8.1 million, a third of NYC. A median income in 2021 of $112,000. An approximately 60% lower crime rate than New York City and 80% lower than the average national rate, a blessing for lack of a better word. It is a major touristic destination. It has attracted many residents from other areas in NYC. Thanks for ticking my curiosity!
Sounds like Shangri-La. The avererge cost of living where you live for one person is almost 3800/mo as well. That's really high. And it's 86% white so almost zero diversity. So no wonder.
Guardians, not gladiators
The bastion of policing is ensnarled within a losing framework girded by poor wages, murky job parameters, inconsistent and uncohesive administrative messaging, interspersed with infusion of supremacist contingents, punctuated purposeful militarization, under-training and lowered recruiting numbers leading to relaxed hiring parameters.
Add to that increasing peril of targeted execution.
In total, a perfect storm of roiling inconsistency at best that surely needs prompt overhaul for everyone's sake.
Simply put - preserve the rights of all afforded by the Constitution.. without prejudice.
When American citizens were allowed to arm themselves like a military soldier, the militarization of America began and our police went with that mentality nationwide. I distinctly remember seeing a news flash of significance concerning armed men trying to rob a bank in California and the police being outgunned, https://youtu.be/I_1IvZFwj0M . Shortly thereafter the police were buying military equipment and arming themselves with military grade weapons. I am saying that it was not the police who initiated the militarization of America, it was American politicians who allowed this carnage.
We speak so much of change and, yet, we are like babies learning everything anew when, in truth, we have already all what it takes to build the world that most want (and convince ourselves that it can be done). There will always be contrarians, those who destroy for their own use and satisfaction. And scream and scream and scream, even if the tone is natural and the volume is low. An example. Today, Chuck Todd interviewed Jim Jordan. The Ohio Republican did not answer, but spoke. Chuck Todd persevered. With facts. Jim Jordan gave a speech at intervals, back and forth. With an emotionless smile. Jim Jordan has never listened to the natural land he walks on. To build upon dreams, instead, is what America was founded upon. First came the dreamers, but then came those who stopped dreaming. The story does not end with them. We believe wholeheartedly in renewal. It will take courage and endurance. And specific strategies. You state one above. I do not have the expertise to answer, but maybe someone else does.
Wonderful -thanks!