Cops who are afraid
We all love heroes. Audi Murphy,
the Sullivan brothers. There were
hundreds of wonderful heroes on
and after World War II.
The Marines came out of service
and joined the police departments.
Then what happened to them ?
Did they stop being heroes ? I don`t
think so.
Life got complicated, before you hit
the bastard you had to read him his
rights.
The guy that helped to plant the flag
on Iwo and shot a few people on the
way back down, now has a rule book
in his duty case. I can`t begin to tell
you the rules, but if you have not
completed your probation, you better
be prepared to follow that rule book,
word for word.
Cops Who Are Afraid
Big John walked out of the bar where
he had just settled a dispute between
several customers who were ready to
tear each other to pieces.
He walked out to his car, sat and started
to tremble. He could not stop shaking.
He questioned himself, thought maybe
he was having a heart attack. Naww !
He was calm, but sweating profusely.
Walking into the station, Big John went
directly to the Forensics Bureau where he
talked to Sgt. Boog who had previously
invited him to work in the bureau.
They talked and Sgt. Boog dispatched a
memo to the Chief requesting that Big
John be assigned to the Bureau. The next
day Big John was interviewed further,
assigned to the swing shift and spent the
next nine years in the bureau.
Officer Burns came to me one day and
confided that he was losing his nerve. He
just was`nt sure of himself anymore-- so I
had him assigned to traffic, writing parking
tickets.
Then it dawned on me---- and there were
many others with similar "kinks". These
guys are anxious about the number of rules
, but most importantly , they are going to
make mistakes . They know they will make
mistakes. The state supreme court will
come down on them, the United States
Supreme court will find against them and
most importantly ---- they will be criticized
by the members of their own department.
I started a communication with these officers,
requesting transfers to less volatile jobs.
One went to the Juvenile Bureau, two more
were assigned to the Detective Bureau, another
into Forensics.
You see, when a COP works patrol, he has to
know everything, no he has to have average
or better intelligence, but he needs the ability
to sort through problems with lightening speed
and make decisions that will not create further
problems. He has to be in close touch with
the members of the community.
That probably is an oversimplification......what
exactly does this patrol officer need to know to
do his job without controversy or worse ?
At one time I wrote new job classifications, new
advertisements for officer applicants, ads,
requirements, qualifications---- I did exactly what
somebody before me had done, I skirted the
issue.
Getting Security
There has been a problem for a long time , the
problem of officers seeking security on the job.
COPS WHO ARE AFRAID
I do not recall ever knowing a COP who was
afraid physically, every one is there pulling at
the traces ready to throw himself on the pyre
of self sacrifice without much thought to his
own safety.
AFRAID OF THE BOOK
One time when Big John was Sgt. Big he
heard a dispatch that a motorcycle club had
taken over a portion of the beach, making it
difficult for women and children to use that
portion of the beach. On his arrival Big found
three or four officers talking to the "leader".
The motorcycle leader argued that they had
as much right to the beach as anyone else.
Sgt. Big said leave NOW or be arrested.
The COPS started to shuffle feet and tried to
argue with Sgt. Big who simply walked over
to the motorcycle , the most beautiful one on
the beach, placed his foot on the engine and
dumped it into the sand.
Simple solution. The gang did not dare to fight
they were facing community condemnation if
they did the wrong thing. Swing on the Sgt.
No way, the leader was too smart--- he could
have been seriously injured, he could lose face
or and he did---- picked up his motorcycle and
waved his men to leave NOW.
Sgt. Big had a little talk with the officers individually
after this incident and that was the end of it.
The Officers were afraid of making a mistake, of
losing face, of being criticized by superiors, or
of violating some foggy issue in the book of regs.
Sgt. Big solved the problem--- How ?
He was not afraid, perhaps he did`nt know any
better, maybe he was intuitive and sensed the
right action. But, the men were not physically
afraid, they were afraid of the "book", either the
book of regulations , or perhaps the "book" of
public opinion, or the unwritten book, the one
that holds that thin blue line in one cohesive
working unit.
Officer Qurios was assigned to ride with me one
day when he first joined the department.
He said hello followed by a litany of questions
that could have covered an encyclopedia of
policing .
I thought ,"rookie" and forgot about it, but he
never forgot the questions. He was worried about
what he would do under any given situation.
This guy was an ex-marine, at several situations
he demonstrated physical courage, but he never
stopped worrying what he would do in some
hypothetical situation.
The rookie, officer Qurios finally gravitated to a
traffic job and seemed to be content for years.
One of the officers who was assigned to Detective
Bureau distinguished himself over the years.
They were all good men, good officers and good
policemen--- they were simply afraid of ----
something .
----- John Crowley
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