The Baton Rouge Police Department saw a record number of retirements and resignations in 2016. Police agencies worry this rise may be tied to the nationwide scrutiny of officers that has grown over the past years.
According to The Advocate, there were only 10 resignations and 15 retirements in 2012. In 2016, BRPD had 32 resignations and 21 retirements, triple the amount of resignations compared to just four years ago.
These figures are also a reflection of police departments around the country. Police departments in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Richmond and Colorado Springs are also experiencing this type of mass resignation.
“For about two years, there’s been a marked shift in the view of whether or not entering the policing profession is worth it anymore,” Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations Bill Johnson said in an article by The Advocate. “Part of it is it has become more dangerous … (but also officers) felt local political leadership didn’t have their backs like it used to.”
Recent shootings have left both officers and citizens dead. What’s made this profession so dangerous and undesirable within the past few years is the amount of distrust between both police departments and civilians. Potential danger has always been a part of the job, and the police know that. The difference is the growing rivalry of the white cop against the black man. With the heightening use of social media and video sharing, incidents of cops attacking, beating and killing are more publicized and polarized. More attention is being drawn toward these incidents because they are affecting more people. We are in a constant war between law enforcement and civilians.
With the Dallas shooting, Baton Rouge shooting and the San Antonio ambush, our country saw tragedy in the law enforcement community in 2016. Last year, 64 officers killed in the line of duty were buried alongside 963 civilians.
Although officers don’t go to work in the morning with the intention of shooting people, these numbers are high. Not to say all 963 citizens were innocent, but the reason tension remains high between police officers and their territories is innocent people are a part of this number. Because of the outcomes of very hard, undesirable situations, police officers have acquired the reputation of being “racist,” “corrupt” and “bloodthirsty.”
Hearing people group all police officers into these categories is heartbreaking. I know there are racist cops, and I know there are corrupt police stations. However, there is nothing that could convince me that a police officer wakes up in the morning hoping for a situation in which he has to choose between losing his own life or taking the life of another. The main reason police officers shoot is because the training they received has led them to believe there is no other choice.
To change the stigma, there needs to be change regarding how city police departments are run. Although every station operates differently, all police officers should be required to attend monthly training courses that run through every single option police officers have besides shooting. All stations should also have an extensive interviewing process geared toward ensuring officers are unprejudiced.
Police officers should be assigned to patrol the neighborhoods they come from so the officers are already be familiar with the area and its people. Consistency will make it easier for the residents to trust the police enforcement presence and make the cops more comfortable. Police stations are recruiting their police force from surrounding cities, leading to a very tense relationship between neighborhoods and the “unknown enforcers.”
As well as improvements on the police side, there are also many things civilians could do. The “screw the police” mentality needs to end. When you are approached by an officer, do as they request. It’s safer on both ends if you listen to what they ask you to do. Know your rights and respect when an officer is approaching you with a request. If an officer has disrespected you or asked something unfair of you, it is your right and civic duty to report it and have your voice heard. Hold our law enforcement accountable for their actions, just as they do for us.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement claims that police officers are the black community’s murderers rather than its protectors. I’m not a black individual, and I will not pretend I have experienced what it’s like. However, I will say that I come from a family with many police officers. My step dad wakes up every morning, puts on his bullet proof vest, hooks up his ear piece, puts on his boots and gets in his patrol car with the intent of returning home that night knowing he did good for his community. He would never choose to kill someone if he did not have to. No matter their race, no matter their age, no matter where they came from or where they are going, he would never take the life of another individual because he didn’t “respect them.” He is the representation of what a true police officer is. He respects everyone he comes in contact with, on and off the clock. He wouldn’t hesitate for a second to sacrifice his life for someoneelse.
The “Black Lives Matter” community has shed hate toward officers, and I don’t disagree with the anger they have. I don’t disagree that racist, degrading officers have infiltrated law enforcement, but I disagree with the idea that all officers are hateful, disrespectful people that want to torment the black community. They are simply here to serve and protect.
The whole concept of law enforcement is to ensure the safety and well-being of a community. This idea seems to have been lost within the past few years. This isn’t a “Black Lives Matter” or a “Blue Lives Matter” issue. This is a humanity issue. Respect on both sides has been lost and is in dire need of revival. We need to band together to protest the corrupt officers and the racist officers, not the force as a whole. We can’t thrive with a diminishing police force.
These changes will not happen overnight and will take effort and money to implement. It is our job to hold every citizen accountable for their actions. Our police departments are valuable and help nurture the beautiful cities we call home.
Casey Pimentel is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from The Woodlands, Texas.
The Baton Rouge Police Department saw a record number of retirements and resignations in 2016. Police agencies worry this rise may be tied to the nationwide scrutiny of officers that has grown over the past years.
According to The Advocate, there were only 10 resignations and 15 retirements in 2012. In 2016, BRPD had 32 resignations and 21 retirements, triple the amount of resignations compared to just four years ago.
These figures are also a reflection of police departments around the country. Police departments in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Richmond and Colorado Springs are also experiencing this type of mass resignation.
“For about two years, there’s been a marked shift in the view of whether or not entering the policing profession is worth it anymore,” Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations Bill Johnson said in an article by The Advocate. “Part of it is it has become more dangerous… (but also officers) felt local political leadership didn’t have their backs like it used to.”
Recent shootings have left both officers and citizens dead. . What’s made this profession so dangerous and undesirable within the past few years is the amount of distrust between both police departments and civilians. Potential danger has always been a part of the job and the police know that. The difference is the growing rivalry of the white cop against the black man. With the heightening use of social media and video sharing, incidents of cops attacking, beating and killing are more publicized and polarized. More attention is being drawn toward these incidents because they are affecting more people. We are in a constant war between law enforcement and civilians.
With the Dallas shooting, Baton Rouge shooting and the San Antonio ambush, our country saw tragedy in the law enforcement community in 2016. Sixty-four officers killed in the line of duty were buried last year, alongside 963 civilians.
Although officers don’t go to work in the morning with the intention of shooting people, these numbers are high. Not to say that all 963 citizens were innocent, but the reason tensions remain high between police officers and their territories is because innocent people are a part of this number. Because of the outcomes of very hard, undesirable situations, police officers have acquired the reputation of being “racist,” “corrupt” and “bloodthirsty.”
Hearing people group all police officers into these categories is heartbreaking. I know there are racist cops, and I know there are corrupt police stations. However, there is nothing that could convince me that a police officer wakes up in the morning hoping for a situation in which he has to choose between losing his own life or taking the life of another. The main reason police officers shoot is because the training they received has led them to believe there is no other choice.
In order to change the stigma, there needs to be change in how city police departments are run. Although every station operates differently, all police officers should be required to attend monthly training courses that run through every single option police officers have besides shooting. All stations should also have an extensive interviewing process geared toward ensuring officers are unprejudiced.
Police officers should be assigned to patrol the neighborhoods they come from so that the officers would already be familiar with the area and its people. Consistency will make it easier for the residents to trust the police enforcement presence and make the cops more comfortable. Police stations are recruiting their police force from surrounding cities, leading to a very tense relationship between neighborhoods and the “unknown enforcers.”
As well as improvements on the police side, there are also many things civilians could do. The “screw the police” mentality needs to end. When you are approached by an officer, do as they request. It’s safer on both ends if youlisten to what they ask you to do. Know your rights and respect when an officer is approaching you with a request. If an officer has disrespected you or asked something unfair of you, it is your right and civic duty to report it and have your voice heard. Hold our law enforcement accountable for their actions, just as they do for us.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement claims that police officers are the black community’s murderers rather than its protectors. The followers believe that the police force does not deserve respect because they do not respect black lives. I’m not a black individual, and I will not pretend that I have experienced what it’s like. However, I will say that I come from a family with many police officers. My step dad wakes up every morning, puts on his bullet proof vest, hooks up his ear piece, puts on his boots and gets in his patrol car with the intent of returning home that night knowing he did good for his community. He would never choose to kill someone if he did not absolutely have to. No matter their race, no matter their age, no matter where they came from or where they are going, he would never take the life of another individual because he didn’t “respect them.” Although he is just one police officer, he is the representation of what a true police officer is. He’s brave and fair, as are hundreds of thousands of officers. He respects everyone he comes in contact with, on and off the clock. He wouldn’t hesitate for a second to sacrifice his life for someone else.
The “Black Lives Matter” community has shed hate toward officers, and I don’t disagree with the anger they have. I don’t disagree that racist, degrading officers have infiltrated law enforcement, but I disagree with the idea that all officers are hateful, disrespectful people that want to torment the black community. Many of the officers that are being judged for what their inhumane co-workers have done would take a bullet for any American, “Black Lives Matter”, “Blue Lives Matter”, anyone. That is what they signed up for. They are here to serve and protect.
The whole concept of law enforcement is to ensure the safety and well-being of a community. This idea seems to have been lost within the past few years. This isn’t a “Black Lives Matter” or a “Blue Lives Matter” issue. This is a humanity issue. Respect on both sides has been lost and is in dire need of revival. We need to band together to protest the corrupt officers and the racist officers, not the force as a whole. We can’t thrive with a diminishing police force. Police are leaving in droves thus leaving needy neighborhoods and cities with less protection and vulnerable to crime.
These changes will not happen overnight and will take effort and money to implement. It is our job to hold every citizen accountable for their actions. Our police departments are valuable and help nurture the beautiful cities we call home.
Casey Pimentel is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from The Woodlands, Texas.