Here's a question for non-LEOs. What are your expectations of the police?
First, I realize this is a difficult question, because expectations are
usually based upon problems endured by the individual citizen in his or her
neighborhood. Every neighborhood has a different set of problems, so I'm sure
that the answers will be varied.
I would first make a general observation that the vast majority of citizens
are law abiding citizens who care about where and how they live. Income
usually dictates the "where", and numerous factors influence the "how".
Second, I would comment that nearly everyone commits minor violations of the
law from time to time, and that does not make them a bad citizen. Nearly
everyone commits a traffic violation from time to time, maybe they get caught
and maybe they don't, but this does not make them a bad citizen.
Most agencies receive hundreds of calls a week about reckless drivers,
speeding in school zones, speeding in residential areas, running stop signs,
running red lights, etc. There is irony here in that they want the other guy
caught, not themselves. Due to the large numbers of complaints and demands, I
would say that reasonable traffic law enforcement would be one of the
public's expectations of the police. Catch the other guy, not me! Am I close?
The highest priority of the public appears to be reasonable safety and
security for their homes and their families. Thousands of surveys over many
years tends to confirm this. The purchase of a home is a huge investment,
and this tends to lock the average family in to a long-term committment to
the neighborhood. I am one of those persons and have made a 20 year
committment to the same neighborhood. Maybe my expectations of the police are
different because I am a police officer, but maybe not. 1) I've wanted to
keep the property that I worked hard for; 2) I've wanted my children to be
safe and be able to play outside with other neighborhood children; 3) I've
wanted drug dealers, drunks, paint sniffers, and other undesirables to stay
away from my wife and children and leave them alone; 4) I've wanted to lock
my doors at night and have a reasonable expectation that my home would not be
invaded; 5) I could go on, but I've basically wanted a relatively safe place
to raise a family. I'm obviously not wealthy with my occupation, so I live in
a lower middle-class neighborhood. Are my expectations of the police much
different than the average person? I'm sure that your local drug dealers have
a different expectation of the police, but that is to be expected. Just
thoughts.
Tom Rightmer - A Victims' Rights Advocate
... An appeaser feeds a crocodile, hoping to be eaten last.
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
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