In the Line of Duty

[AFTT47]

It's not really "cops" per se (cops don't formulate public policy, they don't fund or equip themselves, they don't hire themselves, they don't decide whether or not to prosecute themselves, and they don't even have very much input into the procedures governing their own job). It's THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM.

Granted. There are cops who will operate responsibly in whatever system they are placed in but there are plenty who will take full advantage to indulge their human weaknesses.

The FAA has one of the better systems for taking human weakness into account. When a pilot gets into an airplane, he or she is REQUIRED to pull out a checklist for that particular aircraft type, read it line by line and execute those instructions. It seems silly and burdensome - even for a recreational pilot. I know it by memory; I could practically do it in my sleep. But it is necessary to overcome human weaknesses. I can have a 'brain fart' and forget to check something critical. It's easy to do when I am complacent because I have flown hundreds of times and my mind is on something else. The checklist will prevent such a mistake. If I dutifully read each item and execute it as I am supposed to, I cannot forget a critical step. The checklist turns me into a robot.

Police departments need to similarly account for human weaknesses. There needs to be all kinds of rules, checks and balances to prevent an officer from abusing the power he or she has been given.

Those of us who are old farts like me will remember the 1960s TV series Dragnet about LA Police Officer Joe Friday. Friday was a robot to the point of comedy. So much so, a cinematic, comedy version of Dragnet was made - and it was funny! The the ironic thing is that Joe Friday may have been the ideal police officer. He did his job without emotion. He never used more force than was necessary, he never disrespected people and he never so much as offered an opinion as to the moral character of those he arrested unless such an opinion was solicited. The guy had all the personality of a filing cabinet - on duty at least - but that's probably exactly what a cop should be. A professional doing a negative but necessary job. Complete detachment. Don't judge because that's not your place. Do what you've been hired to do and keep your opinions to yourself.

That's not to say they shouldn't use their brain. You come upon a situation where somebody has technically committed a crime but you can see there was no intent of malice, you can reason that a warning is more appropriate than an arrest. But in no case do you disrespect, rough-up or violate the rights of the accused in any way. That isn't your place. The power you have been given is to be used to serve the public good - not to indulge your human weaknesses like your emotional opinion.