Walking Away

Faulkner

Faulkner

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I came upon this picture a few days and ago and it concerned me. I'm afraid that a lot of good law enforcement officers across the country are planning to 'walk away' or retire early. Recruiting to fill those spots with the right people will be difficult. Even with their imperfections, police are on the front lines holding back the forces of anarchy.

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I agree. What is going on is insanity. Riot protests are not the answer. The media is the biggest problem because the facts prove completely different data.

DON'T BUY INTO MEDIA BAIT!

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
 
The war on cops has entered a new phase. I know I picked the right time to retire, but my heart aches for my brothers and sisters in arms trying to hold the line. Our politicians should be very careful what they ask for. They just may get it.
 
Mediocre pay, ungainly work hours, dealing with the most challenged people in our society, rough on the family life, underfunded departments, constantly under a microscope while prepared to step in harms way for those who hate them . . . what's not to love.

I appreciate that they're out there in the night when I'm home in bed.
 
I believe your fears are well grounded. Walking away from a department that treats you as an enemy, provides no support, and uses you for political bait is a officer's only option. I don't understand why there isn't a mass walk-off already happening. There are plenty of LEO jobs available in less hostile cities, with higher pay, better benefits, and safer work environments.
 
I have more faith in the good officers out there than to worry that they will walk away. I admire those who accept the job of enforcing the law and who are committed to doing it while maintaining their respect of their fellow man and asking only for the same in return. These are singular, selfless people who, despite the many hardships of their freely-chosen profession, carry on. They are the ones who exemplify the ideals of duty and honor that come with the badge. They are also the ones who shouldn't have to abide in certain of their fellow officers the excesses, questionable conduct, and downright cruelty that arise sometimes from flawed individuals who besmirch the good names and reputations of their departments and brothers. Those unworthy officers -- a tiny percentage of the law enforcement community, but with an outsized impact on the public's perception of "the thin blue line" -- deserve to be exposed and punished, and we as a society are better off when their positions of authority are withdrawn. They do not belong with, nor merit being mentioned in the same breath as, the fine officers who perform their duties with the dedication and professionalism we demand of those entrusted with such a great responsibility for our safety and welfare.
 
I was a mechanic for my small city for 25 years. As such, we had Police Officers in and out of the shop on a daily basis. I'm happy to say that I've always been very proud of our Police Dept. Every one I ever knew was a good man and a good cop. The very few bad apples we got over the years never lasted very long.

However, I can certainly see where some officers have had enough with their bad departments, bad areas and no support from their own department or city officials. All I can say to them is that there are plenty of other good cities that would be happy to have you. ;)
 
They want life without LEO, let them have it.

I will protect me and mine.

Funny how anarchy works, everyone wants it till THEY are the ones being targeted.

I'm tired of the anti LEO sentiment, there are bad in every profession, from ditch diggers to doctors.
And of course it's fueled by media, their whole purpose is to create situations that they can turn into money.

Where's the outcry for all those killed in Chicago over the past week?
Baltimore?
St Louis?
LA?
Atlanta?
Yeah, doesn't fit the narrative, I guess not all lives matter after all.

Let's face it, people do not like authority, never have and never will, it's a constant reminder that they are not in complete control of their lives.
From politicians, to police, some people get mad at speed limit sights.
Heck, I've seen the site mods here get flamed for enforcing the rules.

And of course some of the most boisterous complaining about LEO, from protesters to social justice wannabes would be the first to call 911 when they hear a bump in the night, then have the audacity to complain how long it took response to get there.

Be careful of what you wish for, it just might happen.

Glad I'm retired.
 
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susieqz said:
the fact remains that some departments have failed to
weed out bullys n murderers.
if you belong to such a department don't expect respect.
Click to expand...


And as to that, yeah, there are bad cops, but usually they are idiots that get weeded early on, and get bounced rather quickly.

I taught unarmed tactics as well as UoF and firearms, and even back in the 80s it was unacceptable to go for the neck in anything other than a life threatening situation.

The LEO that did this was way off base, and should face whatever legal and disciplinary actions go his way, especially with other officers around to help.

I don't think he was a "bad cop", I think he was a idiot that got caught up in the moment and made a terrible decision, his knee on a cuffed and proned out suspects neck could have been just as effective on the guys lower back.

Bad decision, bad timing, and most certainly bad form.

Do I think he was bad as in wanting the guy to die?
No.

Was he stupid?
Very.
 
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I suspect that after this stuff all subsides, every small town PD and SO will be inundated with over qualified, 15 year veterans looking for a place to finish out their time to retirement. All who have ever worn the badge know that nobody really likes the cops - (no matter what they say) - - until they reallllllllllly need one. And then we are usually late. While I look back with fondness at my years on the pin side of the tin. I am Damned glad that part of my life is past.
 
And, one last thought, then I'll leave this thread.

Do you really think it's the bad cops that will walk away?

I think you'll lose the good ones with a conscience, idea of what's right, and a love of the job.

You'll end up with those that are in it for power, status, and nothing more than a steady pacycheck.

As I said before, some of you really need to be careful of what you wish for.
 
I think it is a case of a few making many look bad. You see it everywhere
Slob hunters
Slob gun owners
Jerk customers
Bad Doctors
crummy guns
All get focused on

A few over jealous bully cops get the focus.
 
robvious said:
I hope only the bad ones walk away... so few they won't be missed
Click to expand...

We all hope this will be the case. Yet the good ones, in most cases will have no problems finding Good employment in other locations or in totally different fields. The bad ones will have limited other employment options, will stay.

As there will be a dire need for bodies to fill out manpower requirements, and top quality people are not staying, or willing to apply, the next step will be to lower the hiring standards. This could lead to the bad training Some people who, no matter how well meaning, should not have been hired in the first place.
 
I just read that 292 NYC PD members have been injured in the madness. I wonder how many of those will come back?
 
My retirement date is 03/31/21. Can I work longer? Yes. Will I? No. I am proud of my work. I've never treated anyone poorly or disrespected anyone. Law enforcement has changed, the court system has changed, public opinion and appreciation has changed. My wife fears for my safety in a way she hasn't before. It's a shame things have gone this far. I don't for a minute condone the behavior of that officer. As stated previously, the bad ones get weeded out pretty quickly but this mess is going to cost the country a lot of good dedicated LEOs.
 
Memphis is desperate for new cops. Its not uncommon for a young person to get hired, get trained, serve just a few years and then start applying for a police job elsewhere. They never really wanted to work there. They just needed a place to start.
I imagine a lot of big cities have the same problem.
 
Everything changes, even something as staid as law enforcement. As with every other industry you have to be flexible enough to roll with the times - even if you believe the changes are objectionable or counter-productive. If you don't like what will happen then put in the work to adapt, be part of the change process yourself, and/or educate those who are forcing the change on you. Like it or not change is now in the wind, and if anyone is willing to simply walk away from their career you've got to wonder just how adaptable and flexible that person was to begin with.

There are lots of historical examples of change both large and small forced on many different organizations and industries, and every one where the people successfully adapted made things much better as a result. It all comes down to this simple Darwinism: Evolve or die.
 
One of the problems is that, for years, the good police do not police the
bad actors in their ranks.
Here in Arkansas a highway patrol officer gut shot a man with
a 12 gauge. The guy was autistic and was just walking down the
road and when shot was lying on his back in the ditch. This patrolman
was supposed to be directing traffic a 1/4 mile down the highway
but took it upon himself to drive down a kill the guy. The state had
to pay the family for a wrongful death, but let the patrolman retire
and draw his pension. Oh, did I mention this guy had already killed
his own brother in a past shooting? Why he was allowed to remain
on the force and pack a gun is beyond my understanding. In my
opinion he should have been convicted of 2nd degree murder and
be down at Cummings or Tucker farm today chopping cotton in the
hot sun. BTW, not a word from any cop condemning this act.
So as I said start by weeding out and condemning the bad and just
maybe there will not be as many trigger incidents that result in the
protest.
 
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