If you’re a good police officer, you know exactly what I am talking about. You know that it’s not just the justice system that is ruining it for you. You know deep in your heart that changes need to be made. You know deep in your heart that you enjoy some wonderful benefits – you know your job isn’t always that difficult, and you know that it’s the bad dudes wearing the uniform that are really the ones who are making it harder for you. It’s those bad dudes that have created all the useless paper work you now need to do. It’s those bad dudes wearing a uniform that mean you have to worry about CYA all the time.
You know the ones I’m talking about. Some of them have even managed to create a legend status for themselves. Well, some legends in Kenora just got knocked off their perch.
You know you are a public servant. If you’re a good police officer, you are probably familiar with Peel’s Principles, or you relate to them after you’ve first read them. You know that there are too many egotistical yahoos who get a kick out of pissin’ people off. You know it, and it bothers you.
You know that it’s wrong. You know that some of your training is wrong. You know that some of it plays right into the minds of those egotistical, verging on criminal minds you work with.
You are also afraid perhaps, to stand up and be counted, in case you’re called a ‘mole’ by your fellow officers, just as Constable Jorgensen was.
And it’s disturbing, isn’t it? We’ve got how many police forces in this country embroiled in controversy? The OPP, Toronto Police Services, Saskatoon’s Police services, and now the Kenora force. And those are just the recent ones that we know of.
Canada is not a police state, yet you know that some of your brothers and sisters act as if it were. You know that some of your brothers and sisters act as if they are above the law, and have total disregard for the law and civilians unless it suits them.
You know it. I know it. Many have seen it. Many are too afraid to stand up and say, “This is wrong, and it needs to stop.”
How about you? Are you afraid? But what are you more afraid of? Telling the truth?
Just remember this, as you read the story about Justin Carambetsos that a little bit of criticism might hurt your feelings, but this injustice that your brothers and sisters are willing to take part in – their own brand of gang thuggery – ruins people’s lives.
It matters not what you think of those people who’s lives get ruined. It matters not whether you agree with their values. You know this, don’t you? What really matters is that you did your job within the law, and with integrity.
Yes, your job is frustrating at times. It can also be the best darn job in the world as well. You know that. Deep down, there’s not much else you’d rather do. Seldom supervised. Lots of downtime. Freedom to go as you please, most of the time. Not feeling so good tonight? A dark parking lot for a couple of hours solves that problem, if it’s a quiet night. You hardly ever have to pay for coffee. Flirting with women who like men in uniform is also a fun thing to do.
You know what I’m talking about. The job has benefits. Nice ones that construction labourers don’t get. And the money ain’t bad either.
But some of your brothers and sisters make it much more difficult than it needs to be, right? And the other brothers and sisters that courageously stand up and say something get ostracized, right? But deep down.. you know. You know that the criminal ones if they read this, will become angry, won’t they? They’ll call me all sorts of names. They’ll call me a police basher. But you know I’m not really a police basher. You know I’m bashing the bad ones. You know I’m right. Some changes need to be made, don’t they?
You’ve probably even heard the funny stories of uniformed officers beating one of their own, not believing him that he was undercover. It all got covered up though, didn’t it? That wall is pretty amazing, huh?
You know the score. And deep down, you know I know the score too. And maybe, at one time, you even took part in some stuff that might have been one of those grey areas. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in stuff, isn’t it? And at the time, there was a rush, and it felt good. But later, your concience bothered you. You’re a good cop. Deep down, you’re probably a libertarian. You know that some of the stuff you’re expected to do is stupid.
You know that some of your brothers and sisters go into court and lie, and take advantage of Judges’ and Justices’ misplaced faith in their integrity. And you know some lives have been ruined because of it. Many of those lives, no one seems to really care about – so it almost seems as if it is ok, right? But you know it’s not ok.
It disgusts you to read about people’s rights being trampled. It disgusts you to discover that three officers in Kenora lied and possibly protected someone else in the course of a murder investigation. It disgusts you when your egotistical brothers and sisters get a kick out of pissin’ people off.
And you know it happens a lot more than most people think, don’t you?
Imagine your retired. You’ve moved away from your old stomping grounds. You’ve got no contacts anymore. And this time, it’s your grandson that gets done by one of those ‘brothers’. Who are you gonna stick up for? Hmm?
Your job is going to get worse if the same attitudes prevail. Because the fact of the matter is, as much as some of your brothers and sisters would like this to be a police state, it’s not. And in the end, there’s lots more of us that will stick up for you, when you do the right thing. And there’s lots more of us who are getting quite cranky with the fact our freedoms are disappearing, and that those we pay to serve and protect aren’t doing such a hot job of it.
And the right thing is to serve and protect. And you know who you are supposed to be serving and protecting. It isn’t that egotistical jackass that’s telling jokes about the last civilian he pissed off, is it? You know what makes your job more difficult. It’s not just the system. It’s some of those individuals sitting beside you.
You also know that it’s but for the grace of God sometimes, that you’re not in the same position as those you arrest and charge.
Who are you supporting? The Constable Jorgensens of this world? Or the thugs?