Over the course of many debates i have always remained resolute in the fact that the people i work with/for are of the highest professional character and the "thin blue line" crap is meant more as a measure of "esprit de corps" than a "get out of jail free" card. i cannot speak for other agencies but most of the ones i've dealt with share the same values.
I've heard enough, "my uncle knew a guy who went to school with a guy who's dad was a cop and he said that every time the cops wife would call 911 for a domestic assault the cops would show up, give the cop a wink and leave.
in my experience, those anecdotes are more the rarity than the norm.
Case in point:
here's how it should, and often does, work but it goes unnoticed by those outside of the profession.
Veteran cop, I'll call him "Bob" for the sake of this story, has been with our agency for 18 years now. He's a good street cop but has been in and out of marriages and was removed from my unit and sent back to patrol last year for, um....some time management issues involving an ex-girlfriend and his lunch break. he was given a few days off for the incident and given the "one more strike and you're out" speech.
fast forward to this past week. Bob lives in a town that borders the city where i work. He and his girlfriend get into an argument (i don't know details on whether or not it was physical/assaultive) and the local police were called to the house. Bob meets the responding officer at the door, flashes his badge, and tells the officer that everything is fine and has been resolved. The officer doesn't take the bait and calls for a supervisor to respond. The supervisor doesn't take kindly to Bob's fraternal gesture and immediately calls the on duty watch commander at my/Bob's agency to notify them of the situation.
The chief is notified and a decision is made right there on the spot. A captain, lieutenant, and two fellow swat officers respond to Bob's house and relieve him of all of his police equipment and he is unofficially notified by the Capt that he no longer has a job.
It's sad to see "Bob" go but at the same time i'm pissed at him for blemishing the badge and therefore, I'm glad he's gone from this profession.
I just thought you guys would like to hear a true story of how an agency is supposed to work and how the "thin blue line" is really meant to protect the integrity of the profession, not those who dishonor it.
I've heard enough, "my uncle knew a guy who went to school with a guy who's dad was a cop and he said that every time the cops wife would call 911 for a domestic assault the cops would show up, give the cop a wink and leave.
in my experience, those anecdotes are more the rarity than the norm.
Case in point:
here's how it should, and often does, work but it goes unnoticed by those outside of the profession.
Veteran cop, I'll call him "Bob" for the sake of this story, has been with our agency for 18 years now. He's a good street cop but has been in and out of marriages and was removed from my unit and sent back to patrol last year for, um....some time management issues involving an ex-girlfriend and his lunch break. he was given a few days off for the incident and given the "one more strike and you're out" speech.
fast forward to this past week. Bob lives in a town that borders the city where i work. He and his girlfriend get into an argument (i don't know details on whether or not it was physical/assaultive) and the local police were called to the house. Bob meets the responding officer at the door, flashes his badge, and tells the officer that everything is fine and has been resolved. The officer doesn't take the bait and calls for a supervisor to respond. The supervisor doesn't take kindly to Bob's fraternal gesture and immediately calls the on duty watch commander at my/Bob's agency to notify them of the situation.
The chief is notified and a decision is made right there on the spot. A captain, lieutenant, and two fellow swat officers respond to Bob's house and relieve him of all of his police equipment and he is unofficially notified by the Capt that he no longer has a job.
It's sad to see "Bob" go but at the same time i'm pissed at him for blemishing the badge and therefore, I'm glad he's gone from this profession.
I just thought you guys would like to hear a true story of how an agency is supposed to work and how the "thin blue line" is really meant to protect the integrity of the profession, not those who dishonor it.
