I think that cops are naturally conservative: That’s the sort of person who decides they want to protect and serve (and get those bennies and retire early and well). So I think their nature is to push back as hard as possible against any changes to the way they do things.
We just listened to about 20 seconds of a cop yelling at a black man right before he murdered (imo) him. That cop sounded completely panicked! Totally out of control. Wetting his pants level. He’s not the first I’ve heard. That how they’re trained to be, so it seems, though I’m sure the official training is otherwise.
“Defunding” (along with a simultaneous startup of a different department of actual public safety that has NO connection with current management of the cops) may in fact be the only feasible route forward in some cases. Bad as that sounds.
None of this would even be an issue, except for body cameras, and cell phones. Cops routinely lie when they make out reports of a shooting, and other cops back them up. One thing that needs to be changed, we don’t want police officers investigating other police officers. It doesn’t work.
Nailed it in a decent way, Clay. Now perhaps you can show advancement with the concept.
The badge does not need to be melted down but it needs more in immediate reform steps. After the tarnish is removed maybe you can make another toon in the near future showing a new badge design that incorporates the social services safety net. Unfortunately the reactionary term “defund” caused that message to be lost.
Policing is a complicated issue. It’s not an isolated issue; it is part of the whole complex of society. For instance, there are far far far too many guns out there, so when the police have an interaction with a civilian they will inevitably respond as if the civilian is armed. Policing in general would be improved if we could significantly reduce the number of guns out there. For another instance, the US is now and historically has been a racist society. I don’t mean that everyone is racist, far from it, and I don’t mean that every police officer is racist, again far from it. Most of the racism is systematic, that is, it’s built into the social structures, so that individuals who are not racist may still end up doing things that promote racism. Drug laws in the US are notoriously racist. One result is that a very large number of young black men end up in prison. That’s not good. The educational system is also racist, simply because of the way education is funded. So a lot of young black people don’t have the qualifications they need to get good jobs. Policing in general is designed to protect whatever system is in place, so people who don’t fit into the system, people who have been treated unfairly by the system, or people who want to change the system, are likely to end up on the wrong end of the interaction.
The majority of police do their job, day after day, and may never pull out their gun while on duty. But, there are the few who do crimes themselves. Cops carry the power of life and death on their hips and in the hands of the bad cops, that power gets misused, terribly so. The only real reform that should be done in police departments is the weeding out of the bad cop from the majority.
But, what also concerns me is the tolerance of bad cops in their core. There were three other officers working with Officer Chauvin that did nothing to prevent the death of George Floyd. They were involved in getting control of Floyd and cuffing him, but looked away while Chauvin snuffed out Floyd’s very life. Their trials are pending and hopefully the outcome of their days in court will lead to a better understanding of each cop’s responsibility in any situation.
Few of us have even an inkling of what it takes to be a police officer. They are the referees of our society, keeping the law in the protection of the citizenry. I was a soccer ref for thirty years. With my whistle and cards I sought to apply the laws of the game to each match I oversaw. I also sought to protect the players on my pitch when I administered the little used law called the dangerous play call. It is meant to maintain the safety of play. I asked a follow ref how many injuries he had experienced so far and was amazed that he had already had several broken ankles, concussions, and a few broken bones. This ref was one of those that never called a dangerous play. The police are called on, like the ref, to make calls designed to protect the citizens of their area, but I wonder that there are some who, like that ref, seldom do it.
I suspect that much of the problem is not so much indicated by the luster of the badge but the shape; it is a SHIELD. it protects, to a large extent, from public scrutiny and oversight. Over the last 7 decades, I have known a number of police officers, some as friends, some as antagonists, and most as background scenery. All the ones that I was aware of had the solid conviction that the system would cover their butts if the midden hit the fan. Shields protect; Kevlar is good for projectile protection too :)
My point is that their training should disabuse them of the idea that they will always be covered, no matter what they do. They do a tough job and should be taken care of and helped if the job overwhelms them or bends them. An officer that I considered a friend made it to police chief, was corrupted, and ended his life as a mall security cop, eating his pistol in the parking lot. That should not have been; the shield should not have protected him so long that he had to fall so far.
Far too many go straight from the military to police work. They need a lot more training than they get. The people they are supposed to protect are actually their bosses, not private worst class geeks who must come to attention and salute when addressed. They need to be trained, considerate, and understanding first responders to problems, not Dirty Harry. That is not how the military trains them. They need a lot more training than someone off the street.
Enforcement…………says it all really. How about we rename them police services. Which it should be…..a service, not an armed enforcement brigade. Also put the slogan round the other way. Not to protect and serve, but to serve and protect. Put the emphasis on service.
rekam Premium Member about 3 years ago
They’re gonna need a bigger bottle.
Concretionist about 3 years ago
I think that cops are naturally conservative: That’s the sort of person who decides they want to protect and serve (and get those bennies and retire early and well). So I think their nature is to push back as hard as possible against any changes to the way they do things.
We just listened to about 20 seconds of a cop yelling at a black man right before he murdered (imo) him. That cop sounded completely panicked! Totally out of control. Wetting his pants level. He’s not the first I’ve heard. That how they’re trained to be, so it seems, though I’m sure the official training is otherwise.
“Defunding” (along with a simultaneous startup of a different department of actual public safety that has NO connection with current management of the cops) may in fact be the only feasible route forward in some cases. Bad as that sounds.
Charliegirl Premium Member about 3 years ago
Ah, if only it was that easy.
Walrus Gumbo Premium Member about 3 years ago
Mythbusters will need to answer this age old question. Is it possible to polish a turd?
FrankErnesto about 3 years ago
None of this would even be an issue, except for body cameras, and cell phones. Cops routinely lie when they make out reports of a shooting, and other cops back them up. One thing that needs to be changed, we don’t want police officers investigating other police officers. It doesn’t work.
William Bednar Premium Member about 3 years ago
Does it also remove dried blood and gore?
admiree2 about 3 years ago
Nailed it in a decent way, Clay. Now perhaps you can show advancement with the concept.
The badge does not need to be melted down but it needs more in immediate reform steps. After the tarnish is removed maybe you can make another toon in the near future showing a new badge design that incorporates the social services safety net. Unfortunately the reactionary term “defund” caused that message to be lost.
Michael G. about 3 years ago
I think a few more illicit police killings are going to happen before the littlest reforms begin. I’m a pessimist.
lonecat about 3 years ago
Policing is a complicated issue. It’s not an isolated issue; it is part of the whole complex of society. For instance, there are far far far too many guns out there, so when the police have an interaction with a civilian they will inevitably respond as if the civilian is armed. Policing in general would be improved if we could significantly reduce the number of guns out there. For another instance, the US is now and historically has been a racist society. I don’t mean that everyone is racist, far from it, and I don’t mean that every police officer is racist, again far from it. Most of the racism is systematic, that is, it’s built into the social structures, so that individuals who are not racist may still end up doing things that promote racism. Drug laws in the US are notoriously racist. One result is that a very large number of young black men end up in prison. That’s not good. The educational system is also racist, simply because of the way education is funded. So a lot of young black people don’t have the qualifications they need to get good jobs. Policing in general is designed to protect whatever system is in place, so people who don’t fit into the system, people who have been treated unfairly by the system, or people who want to change the system, are likely to end up on the wrong end of the interaction.
preacherman about 3 years ago
The majority of police do their job, day after day, and may never pull out their gun while on duty. But, there are the few who do crimes themselves. Cops carry the power of life and death on their hips and in the hands of the bad cops, that power gets misused, terribly so. The only real reform that should be done in police departments is the weeding out of the bad cop from the majority.
But, what also concerns me is the tolerance of bad cops in their core. There were three other officers working with Officer Chauvin that did nothing to prevent the death of George Floyd. They were involved in getting control of Floyd and cuffing him, but looked away while Chauvin snuffed out Floyd’s very life. Their trials are pending and hopefully the outcome of their days in court will lead to a better understanding of each cop’s responsibility in any situation.
Few of us have even an inkling of what it takes to be a police officer. They are the referees of our society, keeping the law in the protection of the citizenry. I was a soccer ref for thirty years. With my whistle and cards I sought to apply the laws of the game to each match I oversaw. I also sought to protect the players on my pitch when I administered the little used law called the dangerous play call. It is meant to maintain the safety of play. I asked a follow ref how many injuries he had experienced so far and was amazed that he had already had several broken ankles, concussions, and a few broken bones. This ref was one of those that never called a dangerous play. The police are called on, like the ref, to make calls designed to protect the citizens of their area, but I wonder that there are some who, like that ref, seldom do it.
The Love of Money is . . . about 3 years ago
Polish may not be available in all states at this time. Check back later . . . say about 50 years or so . . . . /S
Random Nick Premium Member about 3 years ago
I suspect that much of the problem is not so much indicated by the luster of the badge but the shape; it is a SHIELD. it protects, to a large extent, from public scrutiny and oversight. Over the last 7 decades, I have known a number of police officers, some as friends, some as antagonists, and most as background scenery. All the ones that I was aware of had the solid conviction that the system would cover their butts if the midden hit the fan. Shields protect; Kevlar is good for projectile protection too :)
My point is that their training should disabuse them of the idea that they will always be covered, no matter what they do. They do a tough job and should be taken care of and helped if the job overwhelms them or bends them. An officer that I considered a friend made it to police chief, was corrupted, and ended his life as a mall security cop, eating his pistol in the parking lot. That should not have been; the shield should not have protected him so long that he had to fall so far.
Far too many go straight from the military to police work. They need a lot more training than they get. The people they are supposed to protect are actually their bosses, not private worst class geeks who must come to attention and salute when addressed. They need to be trained, considerate, and understanding first responders to problems, not Dirty Harry. That is not how the military trains them. They need a lot more training than someone off the street.
ferddo about 3 years ago
Trouble is, the problem cops don’t see any tarnish – and like the patina…
DEACON FRED about 3 years ago
You did it again Clay!! Another beautiful illustration!!
grumpypophobart about 3 years ago
Enforcement…………says it all really. How about we rename them police services. Which it should be…..a service, not an armed enforcement brigade. Also put the slogan round the other way. Not to protect and serve, but to serve and protect. Put the emphasis on service.