Never Shoot First: National Police Reform
The biggest, meanest kid in my high school became a cop. At lunch he would use his size and known penchant for violence to terrorize his peers. He never bought his meals, he intimidated them out of his classmates. He seemed to thrive on others’ fear and humiliation.
In the real world, where size and strength lose their currency, he would have become powerless. The societal kryptonite of the day to day desk job, would have all but eliminated his advantage. As a sub-standard student, he would have effectively been subordinate to those he once dominated. What was he to do with a GED and a massive inferiority complex? Apparently he decided that his needs could be met wielding the power and authority of a law enforcement officer.
Not all police are bullies. Many join the force to pursue gainful employment, engage in an interesting and challenging vocation, or to help their community. The problem, when we look at this self-selecting process comes down to what kind of personalities may gravitate to law enforcement. If we consider a list of employment opportunities and crossmatch the desires of the individuals choosing them, some general attributes become apparent.
People choosing the medical field, education, firefighting, social work, veterinary medicine, marine biology, chemistry, landscape architecture, massage therapy, etc. have selected those jobs on the basis of a series of factors relating to their self concept, whatever that may be. The fact remains however, that none of the people choosing these vocations have selected a job that demands they carry a deadly weapon, use force, or venture to subdue and imprison their fellow citizens. No one ever says, “I wanna carry a gun around every day, I should become an elementary school teacher.”
At very least, every police officer must be willing to carry a deadly weapon, use force on people, and work to subdue and imprison their fellow citizens. This series of job-related responsibilities will naturally manifest a more aggressive, combative, self-selecting portion of the population. The inevitable conclusion of this, a system that draws predators into its foundations, is an unjust and dangerous institution. The police wield unreasonable authority with a dangerously punitive inclination. They have moved so far away from protecting and serving us, the citizens, that they cannot be allowed to continue in their present state.
Are we to believe that a trained officer shouldn’t be able and expected to subdue a thirteen year old under any circumstances? Are we to believe that egregious uses of force are continuously necessary against unarmed, nonviolent offenders? How many times can the police use their personal safety to justify reckless, careless, and violent action?
There are brave men and women in the police force. They are the ones that place their lives in harm’s way, and put their safety in jeopardy, acting with selfless courage. It’s very dangerous, but it’s a calling and the noble sacrifice toward the betterment of mankind. They are willing to protect and serve their communities, placing the needs and well-being of their fellow Americans above their own. These fundamental truths must become the mantra and the standard of police work. If one is to take up the mantle, acting as an officer of the law, they must place the possibility of doubt, and the chance of innocence, above their own personal safety. This is the brave and noble station they have been appointed to and the ethos by which they must abide. Shooting first must no longer be an option. It must become a last and final resort when all other plausible solutions have been exhausted. The safety, rights, and liberty of Americans must be held in the absolute highest regard. This is the duty of the police and anyone who isn’t brave enough to uphold these standards needs to leave the force immediately.
Never shoot first must become the primary guiding principle of action. Service must prevail in every interaction. Non-violent suspects should be treated with care and dignity. They are innocent until proven guilty, and as such, must be treated with care and provided the respect that any free person deserves. Legal infractions such as selling loose cigarettes, suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill, or driving with expired registration are not legitimate reasons to use physical force. We need to change the way we police. We need to do better.
The question remains, how can we change the police? The answer isn’t simple. Less self-selection and more careful scrutiny. Less tolerance of excessive force and zero tolerance of brutality. More counselors in the field. More de-escalation training. Mandatory, consistent, and prevalent use of non-lethal methods. More psychological evaluations for officers combined with therapeutic counseling. Paid time-off to do good work in helping fields to restore their faith in humanity. Community outreach and police involvement. Police officers must understand and accept the dangers of this noble calling.
Officers need to use their voices, and their empathy first. They need to employ their understanding and compassion next. If those fail, then grappling, nets, mace, tasers, pepper ball guns, stun guns, and bulletproof shields should be carefully employed to protect officers while keeping the citizens safe. The last resort, and only when being fired upon, is to use deadly force. It’s time we demand what we as a people deserve; a police force that we can trust. We must, as a nation, hold our police to a higher standard of just and valiant principles. The police must never shoot first.