Given the number of unwarranted shootings by police officers in the past few years, something is terribly wrong in the selection and/or training processes of police officers. It is becoming abundantly clear that a police officer who is afraid is a clear and present danger to public safety. In all situations in which an officer may face danger, he or she needs to be wary and alert, and disciplined -- but not afraid.
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7 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.It is a shitty job, and the best and brightest are not going to apply. In Texas you get a lot of people from small towns moving to the city to become police officers, and they really don't handle the economic and racial diversity of a large city and the problems that come along with that diversity very well. That has been my experience.
Sticks48
Level 9
Oct 15, 2019
1
Once upon a time, you were "Innocent until proven guilty". Now it seems the idea is, to save a lot of time & work, just shoot to kill......
AnneWimsey
Level 9
Oct 15, 2019
3
Yes, cut out all that middle man, not guilty, shit and go straight to the pointy end of law and order (which seems a contradiction in terms at the moment).
The police interview process should identify unsuitable persons by the use of the Big 5 personilty test which they should use in their discussions with candidates. These are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism.
Looks like some are eating through the net!
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Oct 15, 2019
0
I have discussed this with a friend who is also a retired cop. He was a philosophy professor before becoming a cop. His perspective was that policing is a convergence of enforcement, mental health counseling, and politics that few police have the temperament or training for. As a rookie has instructed by his trainer to disregard what he learned at the academy. If I was a police chief, I would hire from each of these disciplines and have them work as a team. Inculcate a shared value system and leave it to the team to improvise.
YaAtEeh
Level 4
Oct 15, 2019
2
Fear is a natural reaction to perceived danger. Recognizing that you're afraid and then channeling your fear into positive action is the key. Adrenaline is a wonderful endocrine system product. But I'm in agreement with you about the selection and training process of LEOs.
bigpawbullets
Level 9
Oct 15, 2019
3
Some people just should not be cops or in any part of law enforcement. I have watched videos from body cams recently where an officer rushes into "hands up, get down on the ground, pow, pow, pow" and it is all over that quickly. A person is dead before they can fully digest the message of "hands up." In many cases the person who is immediately killed is the homeowner. There is no excuse for this and it is murder. If cops have that much fear they should not be cops.
DenoPenno
Level 9
Oct 15, 2019
2
I think we should teach them to use non deadly force first. We need to train them in ways that take into account that they are mammals and will have a fear response.
MsAl
Level 8
Oct 15, 2019
1
As a person who has been in dangerous situations, I know that there is a huge difference being prepared for the situation and being highly alert and ready, and in being in an undisciplined near panic.
MsAl:
@bingst Yes definitely
There are other ways to stop people from doing things than killing them.
Although they do have tasers. From what I hear they are overused as well. Iv heard some real nasty stories about them as almost a casual torture thing, especially in prisons.
We need to get rid of the macho attitude where they can mess with people all the time just because they are low in society.
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