The myth of the hero cop
By David Feige, Slate
Baltimore’s state’s attorney, Marilyn J. Mosby, moved quickly in securing indictments against six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray. But getting a grand jury to indict police officers is a lot easier than getting convictions at trial. That’s because like any prosecutor trying to hold cops accountable, Mosby will be working on an uneven playing field. To prove her case, she won’t just need sufficient evidence. She will also have to overcome a number of deep-seated structural impediments to convicting police officers of crimes—no matter how guilty they are.
It’s hard to prosecute cops. There are two main reasons for this: The first is the special deference that jurors, judges, and prosecutors show officers thanks to the widespread perception that they are heroic public figures valiantly trying to protect us. The second is the bevy of special laws around the country that are designed to shield police officers from the very tactics the police regularly use on ordinary suspects. For example, in most states, law enforcement officers cannot be questioned until they have been given a few days to get their stories straight. And many states have passed laws—such as Section 50-a of New York’s Civil Rights Law—that are specifically designed to make it almost impossible to obtain or use at trial records of a police officer’s prior brutality or misconduct. These two factors can make convicting police officers extremely difficult, and it is no accident; it is the direct result of the sustained effort by police unions to protect officers from even the most deserved discipline or prosecution.
It is far safer to be a NYPD officer than an average black man in Baltimore.
While the rules that unfairly protect the police must be changed, it is also high time to re-examine the foundation of these policies: the public perception—lovingly curated by police unions—of the very nature of police work.
Safer to be a NY cop than a black man in Baltimore? This article is nothing more than liberal claptrap from Slate. Black men in Baltimore are in far more danger from other black men than from cops. Same in Chicago, LA and every other big city.
Shame on this site’s publisher for publishing this sort of biased, anti-cop poppycock from Slate. Stick with Tahoe News. If I want a dose of liberal baloney, I will go to KOS or directly to Slate.
David Feige, who writes books and articles and, according to one reviewer, “Dares to Humanize Criminals and Criminalize Law Enforcement,” started his law career about the same time that I retired from a 30 year career in law enforcement. I’d like him to meet 5 friends of mine whom I knew personally and with whom I worked during my time in service who were murdered by the folks he’d like to Humanize, and were, in fact, the “Heroic Public Figures Valiantly Trying to Protect Us” that Feige mocks in his writings:
Ron Tsukamoto, Berkeley Police Department, E.O.W. 1970
Jimmie Rutledge, Berkeley Police Department, E.O.W. 1973
Dan Hale, Santa Ana Police Department, E.O.W. 1977
Ron Chelius, Nevada Division of Investigations and Narcotics, E.O.W. 1979
Paul Habelt, South Lake Tahoe Police Department / Henderson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Department, E.O.W. 2007
Another review of Feig’s book describes it as “black comedy.” I doubt if the families, friends and citizens served by the five officers I’ve mentioned, and the others that have been lost would find much humor in Feig’s claim that they led lives of “Exaggerated Dangers & Trumped Up Heroism.”
Most every law enforcement officer I have ever met is a hero.
Are the cops heroes? In my mind,? Yes,!and thats coming from an old hippy. My latest interactions with SLTPD have been good. They were polite and nice to me but yet did their jobs with some of the neighborood crooks, druggies and loons, and we’ve got plenty of those!
If anything I think they are understaffed but well trained. A good crew in my estimation.
You should have seen our first local police force when the city formed .It made Andy of Mayberry look top notch!
Now about that M-wrap…Brian Uhler ,can I get a ride in that thing? It would freak the neighbors out to see that monster parked in front of my house .. just don’t take me to the hoosegow!
Keep up the good work SLTPD. Old Long Skiis
Hero cops? LOL! Last I checked our police force was shooting unarmed kids for trying to flee. Hero cop is an oxymoron. Government financed thugs? More accurate.
Mustache you are truly a moron.
When I was a kid, there was no such thing as “Law Enforcement.” Instead, we had “Peace Officers,” who were focused on keeping the peace, not enforcing laws. Back then, every Police Officer was a Hero. Then came the War on Drugs and the entire nature of policing changed. Should we blame the police, or blame the politicians who created an un-winnable war that has turned our own police against those whom they are sworn to protect? All because of a plant that some claim was a mistake by God and must be eradicated by Man? End this stupid war and let our police get back to what they do best — keeping the peace.
This doesn’t paint the full picture in that it’s not just the danger any PD confronts, it’s that they’re regularly having to confront the the lowest & darkest elements of society. Not the most enjoyable way to spend one’s day.
But this does point out how it is a real challenge to get bad people off any police force. And how entities such as police unions don’t want to cooperate with the taxpayer, those paying their bills, in such efforts.
Didn’t it require the FBI to get involved with one such bad apple here in South Lake? While the police union had previously resisted such efforts?!
Parker, if we’re referring to the same apple, the police “union” (I can’t tell you how much the normally conservative cops hate having their Association referred to as a “union,” which is precisely why management calls them that)properly represented him during some of his legal dealings, but his situation became pretty well known (police associations are tight knit groups) and he received very little sympathy and brotherly or sisterly support from “union” members, both current and former.
And the relationship between the local cops and the local FBI folks is, and has always been, both friendly and close.
There is something going on with our police that needs to be changed. They are NOT a military force, and do not need the level of hardware and mentality that combat troops are supplied with.
They also need better psychological screening to separate the nut cases from the normal people.
Personally think the desire to be a cop just might be a reason to not take them into the program.
The desire to have power, be able to kick ass whenever you want no matter the reason is not what we want. Examples from recent events:
Remember the CHP caught on film beating the crap out of a woman along side a freeway. She was mentally challenged and needed help, not a beating.
Remember the 7 or 8 shots fired into the back of a black man fleeing a traffic stop? Whatever happened to shooting in the legs to stop a fleeing suspect, instead of a kill shot.
The recent death by cop of the kid in Tahoe? Sounds like a real error in judgement happened here.
I personally (a middle aged, middle class white guy driving a new car) had my foot slammed in my car door by one of SLT’s finest a while back because (in a private parking lot after a legitimate traffic stop) “I was lawfully ordered” to get back in my car, which I did, but left the door open as it was a hot summer day. Should I have known he meant to close the door? If it was that important to him, he should have informed me I think.
We shared no angry words…I knew I was speeding and had no issue with the stop.
This particular Hero got out of his car, walked up to my car, (I thought he was bringing the ticket to sign) and violently slammed my car door while shouting “I told you to get in the car.”
This happened so fast I did not get my left foot out of the way soon enough to avoid it being caught in the door, painfully. I had to open the door to extricate my foot, and briefly wondered if I was going to get shot for opening the door against his “lawful order”. He then threatened to take me to jail for insubordination. In retrospect I should have let him, but I was suddenly afraid of his mental stability. I was extremely glad when he finally allowed me to leave after signing the ticket.
These kind of episodes are far too common, in our town and in our country.
Ordinary citizens are not supposed to be afraid of our police.
Until a way is found to weed out the power freaks and nut cases, we will continue to read about police violence.
I remember I was stopped and did nothing wrong, They were looking for some one else, I stopped ,they told me to put my hands up with guns pointing at me, I am a senior ,and was scared out of my wits,What is wrong with these cops here,Are they all rookies?