Now THIS is more like it!

[DaBurglar]

Instead of the minority of Police officers who choose to abuse their power and who literally enjoy being sadistic, even deadly, when dealing with racial minorities, and who look for any excuse to use "force"....
I prefer to think and read about the MAJORITY of Police Officers who are honestly interested in doing their job properly, who are not racist or prejudiced, and who have kind hearts governed by fairness....

Like, for instance, the gentleman in this video.....this is honestly one of the best things I have seen or read in the last few weeks, especially if you really think about what this officer is doing:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wish-co ... 46458.html

[Tedlark]

And, the recent story about the Perth Amboy New Jersey rookie policeman who saved the man who had fallen asleep on the railroad tracks? The train was inches, INCHES DaBurglar, INCHES away from the man.

[case]

That was a great article. There are always a few bad apples but most police are good people. If you take 100 people at random you will always find a bad one.

[DaBurglar]

And, the recent story about the Perth Amboy New Jersey rookie policeman who saved the man who had fallen asleep on the railroad tracks? The train was inches, INCHES DaBurglar, INCHES away from the man.

https://pix11.com/2018/07/24/perth-ambo ... -by-train/

Compelling indeed....but of course it begs the question, what the heck was the gentleman shambling along the train tracks for in the first place, right in the path of the oncoming locomotive? I never understood the entire concept of "Hit by train".....it takes a special kind of obliviousness, or special kind of stupid, for a person over the age of 5 to be hit by a train. Sure, suicide is no doubt often a factor and we'll set those aside since the person is intentionally trying to end it and thinks a train is a sure fire way to do it! But for everyone else NOT trying to end it all..... How do you not see it / hear it / FEEL it (the giant, massive train) coming at you>?????

[jetermacaw]

The issue is the men and women of law enforcement do things like this EVERY day, not for recognition because that's what they do.

[Tedlark]

jeter you are so right. Stories about random acts of kindness performed by law enforcement personnel DO NOT make the headlines because these types of stories do not sell newspapers or make for a titilating opening story for the local 10 oclock news.

Instead people will slam law enforcement and jump to conclusions BEFORE all the facts are in. Recently in Chicago, the Chicago Police shot and killed a person who ran away from them. This offender WAS ARMED and took a shot at police before they returned fire. This same person was seen on camera making open air drug transactions (purportedly) and was also on camera seen pulling the same weapon out of his pants pocket prior to being confronted by tactical officers. But yet: there is an outcry saying what a good boy he was and he would NEVER do such a thing.

People in Chicago (I'm using them as only an example but this could apply nationwide) are not speaking out or protesting black on black crime but they block expressways to protest alledged misdeeds at the hands of the Chicago police. Just the other day in Chicago a man and his 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER were shot. Where was the neighborhood outcry, expressway blocking, sign waving, speech making, to protest this event? No where. I can only imagine the outcry if the shooter was a police officer? People would be out for blood.

My rant(?) is not only about guns for those of you who may get on the gun control thing, again, because people are assaulted by weapons other than just guns. I haven't even touched on stabbings, beatings, or anything else. There's a reason why some people carry around box cutters and it isn't because they are all Amazon warehouse associates either.

But I salute EVERY person who wears a badge, carries a gun, and does that almost thankless job to the best of their ability every day in a professional and courageous manner.

[Casino Knight]

A couple of days ago we lost a 24 year old Navy Veteran, who was just finishing up his training as a State Trooper.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tyler-eden ... 018-07-26/

[DaBurglar]

I'm glad all the posters thus far agree in sentiment and spirit, as well as in principle, that it is important recognizing officers who choose (and it is a CHOICE) to set a positive example both for their own ranks as well as the community in general by performing exceptionally good deeds that fall outside the normal everyday category of what police officers are supposed to do. Whether it's a small sacrifice, like helping a homeless person shave for a Job interview, or a huge sacrifice, like willing to sacrifice their own life for a fellow officer or for a civilian in harm's way, Policemen & women in general represent some of the better aspects of everyday humanity.

At risk of digression (but not really), The same holds true for Firemen, who may go weeks without seeing much "action" but who, when the time comes, are prepared (even "expected" to charge headlong into a blazing inferno simply because another human being MIGHT be still inside! That requires a special kind of selfless bravery rarely seen anywhere else, except perhaps in certain very specific scenarios on a battlefield somewhere....and here's the thing that makes a firefighter's bravery superior to even a soldier's: soldiers fight for each other, for the brother in the foxhole with him; they often (but not always) know each other personally and intimately, and even if they do not know each other personally, they do know that the comrade they are risking their neck to save is just that, a COMRADE by virtue of the fact that he/she/it is in the Army/Navy/Marines just like they are, so they at least have that much in common.

But not so with Fire(wo)men/Firefighters! Firemen & women are willing to charge into Hell itself for COMPLETE and TOTAL strangers! For all the fireman or woman knows, the person he/she/it is about to risk their life for is a total dirtbag (or a total saint....or, more likely, just an average person with an average life who happens to be in harm's way....but this average someone is also someone else's son or daughter or brother or sister, or cousin or best friend or spouse, etc etc.) If it's a child or even rumored to be a child trapped in a fire, the sense of urgency and willingness to sacrifice takes on the highest level humanly possible, as well it should.

Having said all that, it is still important to remember that when a man or woman or gender neutral individual CHOOSES to take on the responsibility of becoming a law enforcement officer, they are agreeing, via no less than a sacred oath, to behave and conduct themselves in a manner that is morally and ethically SUPERIOR to the average manner of conduct by typical everyday people. It's a cliche of course, but therein is the entire point: with great power comes great responsibility. A police officer (even the lowliest, newest rookie out on patrol) potentially wields tremendous power over the lives of citizens who cross his or her path....and I do not simply mean the fact that the rookie is not only armed and actually AUTHORIZED to use deadly force whenever he/she/it deems it warranted, but in many other areas, and aspects of life, both subtle and obvious! In short, a police officer can, in the short term, wreak havoc with just about anyone's life. It goes without saying, that such a position, in a "free democratic society", MUST be strenuously held to the highest, strongest possible levels of integrity. It does not WORK any other way.....

There are many many segments and aspects of society that require strong law enforcement presence and vigorous enforcement of the rule of law....their is great risk in doing so. At no point or no time, however, does that great risk justify or excuse either abuse of power, or substandard/incompetent employment of law enforcement tactics. Police procedures and tactics are designed, and intended, to ensure both the safety of the officer(s), the suspect(s) or person(s) of interest, and any bystanders. It is only when the standards, procedures and policies of the police department(s) are compromised, violated or abused that problems ensue and tragedies occur. As in ANY HUMAN profession, you have people who truly are GREAT at their jobs and excel, and you have complete jerks or idiots who either are unable or unwilling to do what they are supposed to do....and a mass of people who fall somewhere in between these two extremes (but with law enforcement, we generally know that with most officers who last beyond the first year or two, they are closer to the Extremely competent spectrum rather than the extremely incompetent/bad spectrum, otherwise they probably would not last or survive beyond the first 1-2 years)....

[DaBurglar]

A couple of days ago we lost a 24 year old Navy Veteran, who was just finishing up his training as a State Trooper.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tyler-eden ... 018-07-26/

That's incredibly sad.

I would be interested to know what are the policies, training and procedures in place to prevent suspects from acquiring a officer's gun during such close quarters physical altercations??? Sometimes in absurd scenes, you see in the movies or TV how (somehow) a suspect/perp is able to grab a gun from a officer and then use it on others. It's not supposed to be that easy and generally is not....I hate to say it but perhaps this noble officer's rookie status worked against him here? My cousin is not around right now to ask him otherwise I would, but it would make sense that police officers would receive specific tactical training on how to "mix it up" physically with suspects while simultaneously protecting their sidearm.

We recently had a similar case involving a 9 year veteran of the state police force who was killed by a perp getting the officer's gun and shooting him with it, followed by the perp fleeing with the weapon and later using it to kill a civilian grandmother before being apprehended. In this particular case, however, the perp somehow "surprised" the officer and clobbered him with a large rock, allowing him to access the officer's weapon and do the evil deeds he then did. It's not entriely clear how this all happened...by all accounts, the officer was mentally sharp, and a physically fit example of exactly how any police officer should be (i.e. Not one of those cliche'd overweight "Donut scarfing" lazy cops who, once they attain enough union status and departmental seniority where they are no longer able to simply be fired for being unfit for duty, "let themselves go".) Perhaps this is simply one of those cases you just cannot specifically train or prepare for....afterall, human beings cannot guard against or foresee EVERY SINGLE thing that might happen to them!


Bottom line, as has been stated previously: The only way to evaluate police officers, or any other profession or group of human beings, is....ONE.....AT....A....TIME.

[DaBurglar]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-jury-f ... 14765.html

The ex-officer in the above article obviously should never have been made a policeman, nor should he even be allowed to have a firearm with the kind of judgement he exhibits. Sadly, you cannot make these determinations until after the fact, when something like this whole tragic episode unfolds.