Potential officers should also have enough exposure to various cultures to enable them to be able to tell the difference between when someone is being hostile and when someone is relaxed and cooperative.
In my small town, we have recently had a rise in the number of police misconduct cases.
Back in the day, a white cop could pretty much do whatever he wished without any consequences.
But as the demographics have shifted - so has the power.
These days, an officer has to actually be a professional not just a bully with a badge.
"Relax dude.", I said to an anxious officer who stopped me for speeding.
As I slowly emptied my pockets, raised my jacket and placed my hands on top of my head, the officer seemed nervous.
"You don't have to do all that." the officer said.
"You just look nervous.", I replied.
But I could tell the guy was nervous because he questioned why I had him follow me to a side street away from traffic.
He didn't understand why I placed both hands on the steering wheel until he approached to car.
He wondered why I used my left hand to remove my insurance from my glove box as my right hand remained on the wheel.
He thought that I'd been arrested before and knew the procedures.
As I exited the car and stood towering over a Barney Fife-like cop, "Are you alright?", I asked.
"Why would you ask that?" he said.
"Because your partner has one hand on his gun and the other on this walkie-talkie.", I replied.
In the end, the guy just gave me a warning.
No comments:
Post a Comment