Publicity

So, we already know that if the media puts out stories about the police force, odds are its going to be in a negative light. I understand the marketing angle of "if it bleeds, it leads", however, wouldn't it be beneficial to not paint the city's protectors in sinister shades, causing more distrust from the already fickle public?

Grandma Rides the Lightning

OK, just because you're a senior doesn't mean an officer isn't going to do his job. The report here alleges the woman "dared the officer to taze her"...so he did. I think the TASER is a wonderful tool (that's probably because I haven't been taken for my ride yet), and I think the officer involved made the right decision. Could he have deployed his OC? Yes, but without any prior knowledge of the driver's medical history, that could be just as risky. The fact of the matter is: he was confronted by an unruly suspect and needed to gain control of the situation. An old woman is just as capable of injuring or killing an officer as anyone else. However, the public doesn't get that angle, all they know is the big mean police officer just shocked gramma, adding to complaints that they shouldn't be deployed by police forces.

Four year old bitten by K9

While this story is pretty sad, it still falls within the realm of hazards of duty. While searching for a murder suspect, the K9 was released, whereupon it found the child sleeping, and proceeded to do what it had been trained to do: attack anyone it found hiding. The family has hired a lawyer, obviously, but this is a situation that really isn't any one's fault. It is unfortunate that the child now is even more afraid of dogs, and now possibly the police, but watching the video makes me feel like at least one of those biases is going to be reinforced by the family. The aunt makes it sound as if it were a savage attack. From the look of it, yes I'm sure it was traumatizing, however the child's wounds appear superficial, not to mention it really could have been avoided if say, you had turned in his father or provided some possible whereabouts, since he is wanted in the death of a 20 year old man.

Every story has multiple sides, I just want people to understand we aren't the bad guys. Sometimes things look a bit heavy-handed, but considering what could happen if officers were to think constantly about what the media will say, I guess we'll have to settle for being painted as bullies.

So my latest post isn't nearly as happy as my previous ones: I've washed out of the Academy.

It's pretty heartbreaking, seeing as I was four weeks out from graduation, and only had a handful of certifications to go. The culprit: weapons qualification.

So I have to decide what to do now. Do I wait until I'm eligible for my chosen Academy, try one of the local jurisdictions, or go to my city's Sheriff's Office?