There's Safe, And Then There's SAFE...
In another lifetime, I used to work in the security realm...alarm system monitoring, installations, loss prevention...you get the idea.
In still another life, I worked for the Treasury Department, and that came with it's OWN set of safety protocols.
One thing that would get 2 agents at your terminal faster than you can say "Jack Robinson" would be *if* you typed in YOUR Social Security number. You were not permitted to view ANYTHING regarding YOUR "account". Strictly VERBOTEN!
Didn't always used to be THAT way, though...
Time was, the only "safety precautions" anyone would take would be to keep the shotgun handy when the wolves got too close to the cattle pen, or you heard something else on the property that wasn't quite "right".
Today, we are mired in "safety"...
Most of it IS very good, and is there with proper reason. Some of it is just plain nonsense.
We go to extremes to not become victims of the criminal element, which is always a good thing. There ARE people out there that would kill you for what you have quick as look at you.
We have alarm systems for our vehicles, our houses, our businesses, and our infants (as they sleep).
We have invisible fences for our pets, chain link for our yards, and low-voltage fencing for cattle.
We have NORAD to watch the skies, the Coast Guard to watch the waters off our coasts, and armed forces to protect us from those who would seek to harm us.
And we have our law-enforcement officers to protect us from ourselves.
So, you could say we're pretty well set as far as being "safe", right?
But who protects those who are sworn and have chosen to protect US?
Case in point, the recent killing of a Seattle officer.
Here's a the link to the story:
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21488907/detail.html
Now, I recall a similar situation back in Philly. I remember it so well, because it was my brother in law who "swapped shifts" with the other officer (for a family matter) who was killed in a similar manner. Back in 1984, Officer Tommy Trench was basically assassinated as he sat in his cruiser near 17th & Spring Garden Sts.
Who protects people like Officer Brenton (Seattle)...or Officer Trench?
Many would say that they're watched over by St. Michael, the patron saint of police officers. Others would say St. Christopher.
Some would just say God, period.
Have we, as the "general public" ever thought of ourselves as being part of that contingent who watches over our protectors?
Or are we content to just sit back, and believe that everything's okay, and things will work themselves out?
Is it our civic DUTY to keep a watchful eye on those who CHOOSE to put their lives in harm's way daily?
I mean, there are those of us who gladly take the opportunity to watch a law-enforcement officer during a "tune-up" of a non-compliant suspect. That kind of crap pops up as fast as it is recorded.
I find it disturbing that we can take the time out of OUR lives to video heinous acts perpetrated against citizens...BY citizens, and all the while, our protectors are being watched...not so much for what they do RIGHT, but for what they "might" do WRONG in the performance of their duties as assigned.
Hey, everyone screws up, even police officers, but why single THEM out, when we all know damn well we wouldn't even NEED their assistance if every one of US behaved in a helluva lot more CIVIL manner?
The short answer is that it makes for good entertainment...and Lord KNOWS we love to be entertained.
We often go to such extremes when it comes to "personal protection" (deordorants not withstanding), and I'm guilty there as well. I got me a nice .45 ACP autoloader to DROP anyone (dead) that thinks of screwing with me or my family and property. With the level of violence on the streets today, you need an "edge". Criminals want to think THEY have the edge, and as long as we're complacent or docile, they will.
I remember when the police went to 9mm handguns, because the CRIMINALS had them. Away went the wheelguns in favor of more firepower and higher number of rounds. Then criminals gravitated to assault rifles, and the police started carrying them in cruisers to avoid a scenario like North Hollywood, circa 1997. Criminals went to body armor, and the police uprated theirs to deal with larger caliber rounds with the kind of hitting power you only found on a damn battlefield.
It's a constant back-and-forth "game", perverted as it seems.
All in the name of safety
But, I digress...
This story got my teeth itching, and with good reason:
((Five Fort Wayne police officers were suspended in October on separate violations.
Police Chief Rusty York announced the suspensions to the Board of Public Safety on Monday.
"Unfortunately, we have the longest list of disciplines that I can recall," York noted to the board before reading the officers’ names and their violations.
Officer Douglas Hart, a four-year member of the police department, served a five-day unpaid suspension for coming to work with alcohol in his blood stream.
Hart’s supervisor smelled alcohol on the officer’s breath and tested Hart. He had a 0.02 percent blood-alcohol level or lower, violating the department’s policy that requires officers to be sober at work, York said.
York said it was residual alcohol from the evening before. It’s a rare situation, and only three or so officers have been suspended for similar violations during York’s tenure as chief, York said. All violations stemmed from heavy alcohol consumption the night before, he added.
Detective Dale Wilson, who joined the department in 1985, received a one-day unpaid suspension for investigative negligence. He disconnected a secondary phone line serving officers in the juvenile aid division, York said.
The line was out of service for a week before technical staff could correct the problem.
The department received complaints from people who couldn’t reach the juvenile detectives, he said.
Officers Bryan Thurman and Everett White as well as Detective Brian Doran each received one-day unpaid suspensions for being absent without leave. All three were late or did not attend mandatory training sessions, which were scheduled at times other than the officers’ normal shifts, York said.
Also in October, officer Mike DeLong served a three-day unpaid suspension for unreasonable force. And Sgt. Robert Girod served a one-day unpaid suspension for investigative negligence. Both appealed their suspensions to the board in October but the board declined to hear their cases.))
Now, according to the old (and probably forgotten by many) Six Sigma "stuff" that was put in place by former mayor, (read king) Graham Richard, it might interest people to know that Rusty might be making a few bucks off of all these suspensions. Think of it as an "incentive" plan. The more "faults" you find, the larger the "commission". SO...you look for things...petty things in some cases.
Guess that "hope and change" isn't helping the chief's retirement fund all that much.
But that's just the scuttlebutt that blows my way...I "could" be wrong....(ROFLMFAO...I don't think so)
I know that police officers are held to higher standards, but they also STILL are something I like to call...HUMAN.
Like I said, we ALL make mistakes (yes, even me...lol), but a SUSPENSION instead of a written reprimand on the record?
WTF, Rus...???
Residual alcohol in your system...I can understand that., but a disconnected phone?
I've disconnected a phone for whatever reason (non-intentional), and simply FORGOT to hook it back up.
And being "late"?
What's this...frigging ROMPER ROOM schoolhouse?
"Sorry sarge, the dog ate that accident report".
If the officer didn't provide an explanation, or failed to notify that he was GOING to be late is ONE thing...traffic HAPPENS, doesn't it?
Absent without leave bothers me, too.
Being AWOL is one thing, while attending some "emergency" is quite the other.
And all police officers are TAUGHT about a little thing called PROCEDURE.
Having been a former government "employee", I can tell you that bureaucrats SO LOVE procedure.
The more...the merrier.
So, I find it difficult to wrap my mind around the "lack" of following procedure, but perhaps the officers had a lot on their plates...it happens (to us all), people.
I still think written reprimands would go far to alleviate any morale issues that "might" crop up.
And heaven knows the LAST thing we need in a city that has violent crime is bad police morale.
(But I never said that, and was never here)
Again...I "could" be wrong here...it's been known to occur.
Just not all that much.
Blame it on MY procedures...
Stay safe out there, America.