Why Some Folks Don't Trust the Police

I want to begin by saying that I respect anyone who chooses to go into law enforcement as a career. By and large, the officers I encounter on a regular basis are competent, diligent people who truly want to make a difference in society. But law officers are no different than any other profession (dare I say attorneys?). Garbage in is garbage out. An unscrupulous law student becomes an unscrupulous attorney, as with med student, or ANY other line of work. By the same token, there are also some wholly conscientious, honest used car salesmen and tow truck drivers. It's the person that matters, not the uniform.

Now, the special thing about law enforcement is that they truly must be held to a higher standard, in that they are charged with enforcing the laws, and imprisoning those who disregard them. If the enforcer is a fair individual, then confidence in the system follows. If, however, the enforcer is perceived to be afoul of the law themselves, distrust ensues and respect for the rule of law erodes. I am not talking about cops parking near a fire hydrant. This news report from Florida shows four officers making up a story to justify a woman's arrest after they rear ended her vehicle. It's bad.

In closing, my sympathy goes out to the rest of the law enforcement community, which gets a black eye every time something like this happens. What a shame that such idiots, wearing badges, end up disintegrating the hard-earned trust that is so crucial to the administration of justice itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh8lLjtFU9c&feature=related