since9
Campaign Veteran
The author of this article is himself a certified peace officer in Georgia, in addition to being a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. I found the objectivity with which he approached the subject to be surprisingly refreshing. In fact, in answering the question of "how can law enforcement better deal with the "bad" and the "ugly"?" he replied, "The answer is a return to the idea of "community oriented policing.""
The only comment he made with which I might disagree was, "Can society survive without police? Not a chance." It's not that I believe anarchy works. It doesn't. It's that in every society, absent an official, codified law enforcement solution, someone always steps up to the plate and fulfills that role. Societies that fail to do this do not long survive. Thus, in one sense, I do agree with the undercurrent that we'll always be in needed of tough, fair-minded individuals who are willing to confront and are capable of putting down the threat when necessary. On the other hand, it doesn't need to be the "police," a relatively recent invention. The role of a sheriff is quite similar, but has important differences, a prime reason why we maintain sheriffs to this day.
To keep things on an even keel, however, We the People will always need to maintain the ability to police our own, to suspend bad cops on suspicion of wrongdoing until either cleared or convinced, as well as to remove or further punish them if they stepped over the line in any knowingly illegal manner. Yes, they walk a thin line, and like all humans, they sometimes make mistakes. Yes, they need to have room to maneuver. No, that should not include room to break the law (abuse of authority, assault, murder) while escaping behind the color of law.
The only comment he made with which I might disagree was, "Can society survive without police? Not a chance." It's not that I believe anarchy works. It doesn't. It's that in every society, absent an official, codified law enforcement solution, someone always steps up to the plate and fulfills that role. Societies that fail to do this do not long survive. Thus, in one sense, I do agree with the undercurrent that we'll always be in needed of tough, fair-minded individuals who are willing to confront and are capable of putting down the threat when necessary. On the other hand, it doesn't need to be the "police," a relatively recent invention. The role of a sheriff is quite similar, but has important differences, a prime reason why we maintain sheriffs to this day.
To keep things on an even keel, however, We the People will always need to maintain the ability to police our own, to suspend bad cops on suspicion of wrongdoing until either cleared or convinced, as well as to remove or further punish them if they stepped over the line in any knowingly illegal manner. Yes, they walk a thin line, and like all humans, they sometimes make mistakes. Yes, they need to have room to maneuver. No, that should not include room to break the law (abuse of authority, assault, murder) while escaping behind the color of law.