My Police Academy Teaches the ‘War on Cops’ Myth

2015-09-14T11:33:16-04:00

This perspective comes from an Iraq War vet currently in a police academy. He is using a pseudonym to avoid retribution.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/14/how-i-m-taught-about-the-war-on-cops-at-my-police-academy.html?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning#

In my rural red state police academy, instructors preach about ‘officers dying left and right’—even though the numbers show this isn’t happening.

Response by SGT Darryl Allen made Sep 14 at 2015 11:35 AM

2015-09-14T11:35:28-04:00

Media outlets are in the business of making money. The war on cops is a story that sells. Easy math.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 14 at 2015 12:35 PM

2015-09-14T12:35:19-04:00

We all need to respect for all lives. There was a young Kentucky trooper shot and killed not far from me this morning. This happens far too often.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Sep 14 at 2015 3:16 PM

2015-09-14T15:16:38-04:00

If you are saying that these is a "war on police" or "policing is more dangerous than in the past" you better have some data to refute this chart.
You want dangerous? Go work in a mine!

Response by SPC Corbin Sayi made Sep 14 at 2015 9:30 PM

2015-09-14T21:30:38-04:00

Cpt Faried, you clearly do not follow current events. Start following city, county, and state law enforcement media (and not backwards liberal propaganda) and you will see - right in front of you - police officer assassinations and assassination attempts.

Enjoy my thumbs down, Sir.

Response by SPC Corbin Sayi made Sep 14 at 2015 9:37 PM

2015-09-14T21:37:45-04:00

[ignore]

Response by SPC George Rudenko made Sep 15 at 2015 2:49 AM

2015-09-15T02:49:09-04:00

When you consider soveriegn citizens, and other groups that have actively attacked and killed first responders, this myth is becoming more reality every day.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 15 at 2015 2:23 PM

2015-09-15T14:23:19-04:00

The hardest thing to do is to take a HARD look in the mirror and ask "are you part of the problem or are you a part of the solution". When this question is asked the instant answer will be I'm part of the solution without looking at simple stats. I understand the "us vs. them mentality. It's something I was told as a MP. But with mass media hyping the sheep in the nation, it really is becoming an us vs. them rivalry. It's not right, and the percentage of bad cops is ridiculously low. But in some places the lack of accountability in the force gives those hard working dedicated cops a bad name no matter what they do. I think what the author said is accurate (except Fuck the Police came out in 1993ish by NWA. It was a song that represented what they saw in their area of LA, and even they said it didn't describe all the cops, just the ones they dealt with), but it's not a "war" of people, it's a "war" of ideals. Right vs. Wrong. Mainstream media vs. independent thoughts. Personal agendas supported with money vs. honest and hardworking people. In the end there are two losers; the populace themselves and the cops that are supposed to enforce the laws. With that we've come full circle...us vs. them. Imagine for a minute if the news took out a whole week where they showed the good that mankind could do and left out the negative. We'd all be happy, but their revenue would suffer.

Response by Cpl Chris Rice made Sep 15 at 2015 7:06 PM

2015-09-15T19:06:45-04:00

I think the worst part of this discussion is the fact that it’s a lot like atheism vs Christianity, it’s not that either side is 100% right, because neither side is, but is that both sides are so adamant and interested in proselytizing the other side into believing what they believe. The people that I talked to who say there is no issue with police being specifically targeted are not capable of just saying that they are not being targeted, but instead wish to attack the institutional policing within the United States is becoming corrupt for having this view. On the opposite side those that are either police officers or those who support police officers cannot simply say that their psychopaths within a population that do target police officers, it has to be that society is rising against police officers and wishes to destroy them. Everybody needs to take a breath and try to remain calm, rational, and compassionate. To be completely honest there are problems in the way that people on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum are policed; I really don’t think that is a race thing, I think that it is easy for politicians to allocate resources to a poor community in the form of law enforcement than it is to allocate the same resources in another way that might be more beneficial to that community, it just so happens in the United States minority communities tend to be poor. At the same time there have been violent acts towards police officers that have to sit in the back of their heads every time they go to make contact with a member the community.

The actual article sounds like the author has experience as a law enforcement officer in the military, and is able to take a more analytical look at the training that he’s been provided at this time.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Sep 17 at 2015 1:15 AM

2015-09-17T01:15:13-04:00

I am a man who believes that police should be held to the same standards as everyone else when they make mistakes or break the law. "Badges don't grant extra rights" if you will.

With that being said, I obey the law and cooperate with the police should I have to deal with them (traffic stop for instance).