Jan 09 2009
Good cop/bad cop-Inaugural Post
Good Cop/Bad Cop
I’ve seen many movies and tv shows where two cops would do “tag-team-interviewing”; one taking a role as a kind and sensitive mentor (good cop) and the other taking the role as the hard-nosed bully (bad cop). Does this really happen? Yes but as a former officer, I haven’t seen it to the dramatic degree as one sees on tv or in a movie. The “tag-team-interviewing” that I’ve seen and to which I’ve been a party have occurred spontaneously. The nature of the person being interviewed, the tone of the circumstances, and the mood of the officers usually decided who fell into the “good cop/bad cop roles”.
My good cop/bad cop blog is about the conduct and ethics of police officers, both good and bad. I have no intention of disparaging the profession or the honorable men and women who bear the weight of the badge with integrity. I have been involved with law enforcement for 18 years. I have seen courageous and honorable officers who epitomize the noble idealof law enforcement. Unfortunately, I have also seen officers who are abusive, dishonest, and even criminal.
When I became an officer, I was stunned by the disrespect many citizens displayed towards me and my colleagues. After I got enough of being called bad names, I started asking why? I learned that the public’s perception of law enforcement officers has been created by law enforcement officers. Cops are disliked for arrogance, hypocrisy, unwillingness to listen, lack of respect, verbal aggression, and physical aggression. The cops who are respected are those who treat the people with respect, those who listen, and those who are humble, kind, and fair. People admit that they don’t like being pulled over by the police and they certainly don’t like being arrested, but cops shouldn’t make the experience even worse through bad attitudes, intimidation, or lack of respect.
Admittedly, every person a cop contacts has the potential of causing harm to him/her. Hitting, spitting, or any other physical violence against a cop has to be dealt with. The force a cop uses to halt the threat to himself/herself is determined by the force being used against him/her. If someone hits a cop, he or she is going to be pepper sprayed, tased, punched, kicked, struck by a baton, or otherwise taken down. A cop’s response to an attack has to be forceful enough to stop the threat quickly.
Very few cops are bad but those few have distorted the image of law enforcement. Citizens need to be able to trust cops. My intention is to praise the good cops, call out the bad cops, and to give citizens information so that they know what to do when they are interacting with cops. I will also try to describe the cues citizens can look for to determine what type of cop they’re dealing with.
Until next time…
