“Two of the shooters were dressed as uniformed police officers”
“…he presented himself as a police officer”
Mass murderers sometimes masquerade as authority figures to gain compliance from their victims. It’s becoming especially common with home invasions, as those are almost indistinguishable from police raids to the residents.
Sometimes the murderers are police officers. The respect or fear of the uniform gives them an extra margin of safety from defensive actions of their victims and from the eventual response by legitimate police.
In short, it’s not enough for a peace officer to look the part. Actions speak louder than words and reflect on the entire agency. I’ve seen both kinds and found the local cops to be mostly lawful good. What kind of police does your town have?
Unfortunately, the militarization of the Anchorage P.D. is nearly complete. There are still quite a few officers who take their “serve & protect” oath seriously, but far more who have bought the “us vs. them” mentality. I have it on good authority that many of the senior officers are quitting or retiring because of the direction the department has taken in recent years.
Unfortunately, when compared to most big cities APD is still be one of the better departments in the nation. Just goes to show how far off the paramilitary cliff our government law enforcement has fallen.
I think that The Seattle PD has a serious crisis of trust right now. Between shooting a native woodcarver dead in broad daylight with no provocation, and spending millions of dollars on a two-year sting to catch a few low-stakes poker players, the SPD have lost a lot of the community’s trust.
Unfortunately, they don’t seem to seriously care about getting it back. The department seems to lack accountability or even the desire for legitimacy in the eyes of the community.
Don’t you people have the ability to elect police representatives?
In some places yes, in others now. Sheriffs are elected, police chiefs (typical of urban areas) are appointed.
Pingback: Oleg Volk: Peace Officers « catotheamerican
I consider myself really lucky; we live in a rural area, and i have met many of the sheriff’s deputies due to some of my neighbor’s… *ahem* quirky behavior. They have never been anything but respectful and compassionate to my situation(s), despite having a local reputation for being alternately useless and arrogant. They have to deal with a lot of BS, because let’s be honest, almost everyone they meet is having a very bad day. In my experience, as long as you stay calm and explain the situation the best you can without making demands or otherwise being unreasonable, they do they best they can for you in return. Sometimes they can’t help much due to the intricacies of what’s happening (it’s up to them to interpret the law), but i fully trust these particular gentlemen (and a couple of ladies) to do their best with what they have. It’s a two-way street and all that. In short, help them and they’ll help you.
I’ve met some good ones, but currently my town has Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum– the Keystone Cops. OK, that’s being generous.
Poster SHOULD say “…Pigs & peace.officers by their actions…
’round here? ~99% PIGS.
DD
PS: PIGS ain’t Peace Officers. Don’t know the difference? You’re either pig or sheep.
NOTE: “Good Cops” who cover (or just look the other way) for “Bad Cops” *ARE* BAD COPS!!
The Davis, CA PD is the most incompetent PD I have ever had to deal with. Sending your kids to UC Davis? Do a good websearch first. The University cops do a better job.
Ironically, the same can be said about church “leaders”.
An officer of the law tends to be pride oriented whereas a peace maker
is a child of the King and strives, actively pursuing the Kingdom of his
Father’s peace and promoting it between himself and others.