January 29^th

 

Today I have no response to right-wing columnists because there weren’t any right-wing columns published in the morning paper. So I’ll comment here about the recent problems with police.

The police have a difficult and dangerous job. Any routine traffic stop could result in an occupant jumping out of their car and shooting the arresting officer. Two NYC police officers sitting in their cruiser were ambushed and murdered in NYC. No one doubts that uniformed police officers are nervous much of the time and nervous for good reason.

Unfortunately this nervousness can easily lead to panic if the officer is not well trained. Two instances demonstrate this: the first is the very well documented killing of a black teenager in Ferguson MO. You may remember that this very large black teenager was warned by a patrolling policeman to leave the middle of the street where he was walking and get on the sidewalk. Instead this huge (6’3” 280 lbs.) kid reaches into the patrol car punching the patrolman in the face and grabbing for his gun. This white officer has now been severely disrespected by a teen ager.  He calls for “backup” as he should. But before the assistance can arrive, fearing this enormous kid will get away, he leaves his patrol car and goes after his assailant.  The young man turns back toward the policeman and the officer shoots him seven times, finally killing him. At the very least this officer should have waited for the backup he called for. (Other problems involve the Ferguson police department: Why, if they had up-armored vehicles which they deployed to intimidate the crowds, didn’t they have Tasers? And why was this victims’ body left uncovered in the street for hours after the shooting?) It seems to me that if you have to shoot someone seven time before killing him you are too panic stricken to be trusted with a gun or a police uniform. This officer was, quite simply, not adequately trained.

We move to the traffic stop of a Jaguar: Two Officers leave their patrol car and approach the stopped car which contains two black men. One officer, approaching the passenger’s side and notices a gun in an open glove compartment. The dashboard camera on the now vacant patrol car catches the result. The driver’s side officer immediately draws his weapon and screaming invective at the driver orders him out of the car and the kills him in a hail of bullets before he can fully emerge. Once again we have a panicked policeman murdering a citizen.

The answer is better training. The better colleges admit perhaps thirty percent of their applicants. What is the failure rate in police academies? The salary offered should attract the best and the training should be rigorous enough to wash out those who can’t do the job without becoming panic stricken.