Courtesy…Professionalism…Respect…These words – along with the acronym CPR –adorn
thousands of NYPD patrol cars. Whether or not New Yorkers believe that officers abide by this creed is up to them and their personal experiences.
I’ve been to many meetings
where residents said they’ve been to the local precinct station house and were addressed in
an irate manner. Other residents at meetings said they’ve sought the help of
police but were treated unfairly.
About five years ago, I
encountered a professional run-in with a few officers at the Canarsie's police precinct.
While I was there to simply talk to Community Affairs officers and introduce
myself as a reporter with the Canarsie Courier, one of the desk officers came
down on me as if I were personally a thorn in his side. I didn’t cross the gate
that led into the main area inside the precinct, but he stood up, mumbled
something and looked at me as if I’d been there for hours nagging him for
something petty. To him it was definitely petty, but there was no respect for my position as a reporter. Was
this the type of courtesy he was
trained to display to the public? There was no proof of the
exchange that took place when I was at the precinct.
Fortunately – or
unfortunately – it’s becoming more common for civilians to capture their
failed communicative efforts with police officers on video. This is something that's not
going to work in the NYPD’s favor. It’s going to prove to the public that we
might need to be protected by some officers whose job is to protect us! Where's the CPR there?
An Uber cab driver in the
city experienced the worst of the NYPD a few weeks ago when a detective pulled
him over and spoke down to him during a berating rant. There are a few questions I have, as always, and I hope the answers will change the way police officers deal with the public.
Don’t cops realize that they
could be recorded on video and that their reputation will affect the way many
New Yorkers look at trained officers? It wasn’t necessary for the detective to tell the
Uber cab driver, “You’re not important enough.” Is that how cops feel? We don’t
want to judge all officers by this irate detective’s bad bedside manner, but...
Why would a police
officer bring up how long someone’s been in this country to further intimidate
them? Okay – if an officer personally has something against
foreigners, that’s their business. Would they talk to their commanding officer
and a public audience - many whom are from different countries – this way? Now that this detective was candidly caught
losing control of his temper, something I think police officers need to be
counseled in, will this change the way other officers conduct themselves? Do
they realize they can’t deal with everyone they stop and question in a universal
fashion?
In my opinion, police
officers need to conduct themselves as if they’re always being recorded on video – and not just the ones they have on
their dashboards.
Let’s get real!
When people see videos like the one brought to the public’s attention by the
passenger in the Uber cab, their perceptions of law enforcement changes – even if
they’ve never had a run-in with a cop.
How many more police officers
out there haven’t been captured at
their worst? How many will soon be exposed for treating civilians like we’re in
some boot camp no one prepared us for? How many officers exhaust their anger
and personal problems on civilians when it’s not called for?
Admittedly, civilians don’t
know what it’s like for police officers who deal with treacherous situations on
a daily basis. We don't know what type of day they’ve had and we don’t know
what transpired from other crimes and criminals they had to deal with that week or day.
Does
that mean they’re allowed to break protocol and talk down to those who need
their help?
YES! If some ruthless thug is
resisting arrest and is in possession of weapon – and is talking smack to
officers – they shouldn’t be treated
with respect! When a law enforcement official has reason to believe their
safety is in danger and that their lives are at stake, they have every right to
lash out and demand order. In this respect, excessive use of force is justified.
However, if you’re simply
sitting in your car and complying with the law – and you have it on camera – what
justifies an officer losing control and making derogatory statements?
If you ever feel like you’re
on that show “Scared Straight,” where officers and security guards get right in your
face, whip out your cell phone and record the moment! The NYPD wants the
public’s help when they release surveillance of a potential criminal – but the
public will now be asking for help with the release of their own civilian surveillance.
Unpublished as of April 7th 2015
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