We have seen two different approaches to police work in action in Ferguson, Missouri this week.
The first had the city and county cops playing soldier. They used dogs, tear gas, armored vehicles, and heavily armed officers with their uniforms, names, and badges hidden by mounds of tactical gear to disrupt and try to shut down what was a peaceful, but angry protest. Their actions escalated tensions, and their disruption of the protest event created confusion and chaos which allowed some people to riot and loot, while neither protest organizers or the police could effectively communicate with, or control them.
These same local agencies treated the media as a hostile presence, gassing TV crews and arresting and roughing up reporters.
People in the community - and all over the nation - lost a lot of respect for law enforcement due to the poor choices made by the Ferguson and St. Louis County Police.
Then, a professional police agency was brought in to restore order and rebuild public confidence and trust. With a smart leader, the Missouri State Police entered Ferguson wearing regular police uniforms, with their badges and name tags showing.- no dogs, no tear gas, no gas masks, no tactical gear, no armored vehicles, no "Rambo"s.
These officers mingled with the crowds, marched with the protesters, and told them that they could protest all night, as long as people didn't start burning or looting. The violence stopped as soon as the police started acting as peace officers and stopped provoking the citizens and escalating (if not causing) the tension and violence..
Time and time again, I have seen bad things happen when cops start covering up their badges and name tags. At that point, they become a faceless part of an occupying force, able and willing to break the law with little chance of ever facing the consequences of their actions, instead of police officers who people can deal with as human beings.
The first had the city and county cops playing soldier. They used dogs, tear gas, armored vehicles, and heavily armed officers with their uniforms, names, and badges hidden by mounds of tactical gear to disrupt and try to shut down what was a peaceful, but angry protest. Their actions escalated tensions, and their disruption of the protest event created confusion and chaos which allowed some people to riot and loot, while neither protest organizers or the police could effectively communicate with, or control them.
These same local agencies treated the media as a hostile presence, gassing TV crews and arresting and roughing up reporters.
People in the community - and all over the nation - lost a lot of respect for law enforcement due to the poor choices made by the Ferguson and St. Louis County Police.
Then, a professional police agency was brought in to restore order and rebuild public confidence and trust. With a smart leader, the Missouri State Police entered Ferguson wearing regular police uniforms, with their badges and name tags showing.- no dogs, no tear gas, no gas masks, no tactical gear, no armored vehicles, no "Rambo"s.
These officers mingled with the crowds, marched with the protesters, and told them that they could protest all night, as long as people didn't start burning or looting. The violence stopped as soon as the police started acting as peace officers and stopped provoking the citizens and escalating (if not causing) the tension and violence..
Time and time again, I have seen bad things happen when cops start covering up their badges and name tags. At that point, they become a faceless part of an occupying force, able and willing to break the law with little chance of ever facing the consequences of their actions, instead of police officers who people can deal with as human beings.
Update:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the Ferguson police chief had to interfere, undermining the new "top cop ont he scene" by releasing information in an inflammatory manner, and stirring up more anger.
Several incidents where officers from the various departments brought in for additional manpower behaved unprofessionally towards media members and protesters(of the peaceful variety) also made the situation worse - including one officer who pointed a gun at a photographer and threatened to kill them.
One common observation is this: when officers remove or cover their badges or name tags, they often begin to act in an unprofessional and unlawful manner.
Two months later, protests continue.