On Cops and Protesters

I see comments* comparing the different reactions to bad actors within groups and its somewhat ironic how both sides can essentially say the same thing and completely ignore the other side.  On the one hand we have:

Very strange how the actions of a few “bad cops” shouldn’t reflect the entirety of the institution yet the actions of a few “bad protesters” nullifies the validity of the demonstration

And on the other hand we have

Many are saying, “Don’t judge all protesters for the actions of a few!” Yes, we all agree not to judge a whole population because of the wrongdoing of a few!  The same needs to be said of the 800,000 law enforcement officers out risking their lives to protect you!

Fundamentally, both police supporters and protest supporters agree that the actions of a few should not be the basis for judging the entire group and yet that is exactly what they each do to the other side.  Get a few bad actors sprinkled in amongst the protesters and their all just a bunch of hoodlums and vandals out to cause trouble.  A couple of cops kill someone in a clearly racist move and all cops everywhere are racist brutes out to suppress the people. 

There is, however, one key difference between the two groups.  Many of the organizers of the protests are quick to condemn the rioting and looting and violence.  Here in Fort Wayne, the organizers of the protest Friday night were also the drivers behind the efforts to clean up downtown on Saturday morning.  When word started spreading that bad actors were going to attempt to disrupt protests this weekend, organizers worked to ensure people were aware of times and places so that a few bad apples couldn’t spoil the entire bushel.  All too often we do not hear police officers condemn the behavior of their fellow officers.  Too often the bad apples are allowed to stay or suspended and then rehired months later.

How many times do we have to watch videos of one white officer clearly acting out of line while 3 or 4 other officers stand around and do nothing?  There were 3 other officers present at the murder of George Floyd and none of them did anything to get Officer Chauvin off George Floyd’s neck.  When Eric Garner was killed, how many officers watched as Daniel Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold and murdered Eric Garner?  When Laquan McDonald was shot and killed in Chicago, there were already more than a dozen cops on scene before his murderer arrived.  None of them condemned the shooting.  This is the difference and this is why all law enforcement shares the blame for the actions of a few “bad cops.”  When bad cops get caught on camera, police either remain silent or rush to defend the officer, even when the actions are indefensible.  I know there are numerous good officers out there serving in communities around America.  But when those good officers fail to root out the bad apples among them, they share the blame when innocent people die.  Derek Chauvin had multiple complaints about excessive use of force and police brutality and none of them resulted in any discipline.  It took five years for Pantaleo to simply be fired from the NYPD.  He’s never faced any criminal charges.  That’s what has to change.  If the police don’t want to be judged by the actions of a few bad apples, then they have to start aggressively policing themselves and enforcing strict discipline upon those who go too far.  If you don’t want to be judged by the actions of a few within your group, you must be quick to condemn those actions and remove the actors from the group.

This was going to be the end of the post.

And then things went down in Buffalo, NY.  Here’s a recap if you need a refresher.

This story reveals what is so completely wrong with too many polices departments across the US and what I tried to emphasize above.  This story is why so many people have such a strong negative response to everyone posting support for police right now.  Two officers forcibly shoved a protester and knocked him to the ground.  They used batons on him and caused the individual to literally crack his head open.  The local DA charged them with second-degree assault and the officers are suspended without pay.  Good on the department and good and the local DA’s office.

And then we get this statement from the president of the Police Benevolent Association, “Fifty-seven resigned in disgust because of the treatment of two of their members, who were simply executing orders.”  There is NO WAY the orders that these officers received condoned them forcibly knocking an individual to the ground and causing him to be hospitalized in serious condition.  With two officers there, it should have been a simply matter of handcuffing the individual and arresting him.  What they did clearly crosses a line and should absolutely be investigated and prosecuted.  What the officers did is bad enough, but what the other 57 members of their unit did is abhorrent and it is their actions that make it so difficult to support police.  What those other officers did is effectively state they believe the police are entitled to act with impunity.  While wearing the uniform and serving the law, anything goes.  Those officers want ZERO accountability for their actions and that cannot be tolerated.  This is the cycle we see too many times with police.  Until we see officers intervening to stop the next Martin Gugino, the next George Floyd, the next Eric Garner; until we see officers quickly condemning officers like the one that murdered Laquan McDonald or Michael Brown or Alton Sterling or Philando Castile, there will always be a problem supporting the police as a general principle.

Please don’t mistake what I am saying.  I am NOT saying that all cops are bad.  There are plenty of good cops out there who are to be commended for the work they do to protect their communities each and every day.  What I am saying is that the police in every locale must work to rid their forces of the bad officers and ensure that they are not rehired.  Until the police are willing to open themselves up to true accountability, until they are willing to admit that the badge does not give them immunity from the law, until they work to see their own are justly disciplined for their actions, until we see actual reform, until we see better responses on a consistent basis, support for the police will always come a distant second to support for the community.     

*comments come from memes seen on FB