To all the brave men and women who choose to put on a police
uniform, I applaud you for selecting an exciting career. To say that your lives
will not dramatically change would be disingenuous. The fact that you chose law
enforcement as a career path speaks volumes about you as an individual. Some
believe that police work is a calling based on what they have experienced while
growing up. Of course, our experiences are divergent, but universally, law
enforcement officers want to help others. However, there are some who made the
determination to enter law enforcement based on other factors. It would be incredibly
ignorant not to assume that some have chosen this career for ulterior motives.
As can be expected, the law enforcement profession bestows
an exceedingly high level of societal power upon its occupants. This power is
so overwhelming that it can be intoxicating. It should not come as a surprise
that some individuals were bullied as youths and chose this profession to exact
revenge. Others have had family members who were police officers, and they want
to follow in their footsteps. Then there are those who got into this profession
by happenstance.
Much of the foundation for law enforcement is learned in the
police academy. Instructors will run the police recruit through the gauntlet of
physical training and the academic maze. Those that have the intestinal
fortitude to endure the numerous mind games and physical pain will ultimately
graduate and be thrust into a world of an increasing adrenaline rush. Words
will not be able to describe the pulsating feeling of power that comes with the
territory. However, with that power comes responsibility, which some police
officers never seem to grasp.
The first few months on the job will make your head spin.
Depending on what community you are assigned will depend on your level of
involvement. Also, not to be forgotten is the person that is assigned to teach
you the ropes. The choices are very slim. Either you will get the senior guy
who is just biding his time before retirement, or you will get the squared away
young officer. Regardless, the message will be “forget what they taught you in
the academy; I am going to teach you the right way to do police work.”
The groups of men and women that you are going to be working
with will become the most important people in your life, aside from your
immediate family. To some, this new group will become your immediate family.
There are going to be days you feel like talking about how your day went, and
your family members just won’t get it. Fortunately, the officers on your squad
will and the invitation to go out for a cocktail will follow.
Initially, the socializing after work should not pose an
immediate problem. The act of winding down and sharing can be therapeutic. In
most cases, this camaraderie builds strong bonds for a high-stress occupation.
However, in some cases, addictive personalities will prevail, and that
innocuous drink after work can turn into a lifetime of alcoholism.
Drinking and law enforcement seems to go hand in hand. Not
being able to “handle” your alcohol will inevitably get you harassed and
harangued by your colleagues. Probably, the most critical social decision is
whether to give into the pressure, i.e., become a functioning alcoholic or to
remain the inexperienced social drinker. Either decision will have a lasting
impression on your law enforcement career. If you choose to up the ante and
drink more, you welcome a lifetime of problems. Divorce, alcoholism,
insolvency, health issues, loss of jobs, driving while under the influence and
possible death are some of the downfalls. If you choose to remain responsible,
you can reasonably expect a long and fruitful career. Barring any unforeseen
job-related injuries, you can look forward to a stable relationship with a
significant other, decent health and an opportunity to retire with a full pension.
As you move on with your career, many opportunities will
avail themselves. Most people believe that opportunities within law enforcement
are limited. However, some agencies have up to one hundred and twenty different
specialties to include forensics, ballistics, arson, bomb squad, etc. Knowing
what you want to get involved in is just half the battle of becoming a police
officer. Preparing yourself for involvement in your field is a greater hurdle.
Promotion and specialist assignment are two of the most
competitive areas in law enforcement. I have only known a few “unique”
individuals who did not care about getting promoted or attaining a specialist
assignment. The sign of success in law enforcement should come from the impact
you have made on the job or in the lives of the citizens you have come
contacted. However, in police reality, the actual measure of success is the
rank you hold within the predominately paramilitary organization. The titles
within the law enforcement profession vary from patrol officer, sergeant,
lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and chief. The names and titles differ but
typically follow the structure as mentioned above. In municipal and county
level departments, the usual course of promotion entails taking a civil service
test. The thought of taking a test to ensure upward mobility can be
intimidating for some officers. The process of preparation for the actual test
is where most officers are weeded out. Those that want the next promotion will
prepare themselves properly. Study groups are formed, and the test is broken
down into the different components. Hours upon hours are spent in preparation.
A lot of personal sacrifices are made. Hopefully, in the long run, it would
have all been worth it.
After the promotion is attained, the recipient is thrust
into a new realm. The old days of hanging out and just being one of the boys
are over. The new responsibilities include supervising your colleagues. This
new position can make for a difficult transition. What responsibility does management
have to ensure that the new supervisor succeeds? This is often the question
that is asked but never seriously addressed. Management has the sole
responsibility of preparing the new supervisor. Mentoring should begin the day
they promote the supervisor. However, because many departments are so small and
close knit, it is taken for granted that the new supervisor is ready. The only
time management is aware a problem exists when personal relationships begin to
deteriorate, and complaints are filed. At this point, damage control must take
place. Hopefully, the issues can be resolved and litigation has not been
explored
In most cases, especially in smaller departments, issues can
be resolved. Conversely, in bigger departments issues fester due to the many
levels of bureaucracy, and ultimately lawsuits are filed. The line has been
drawn in the sand, the gloves have been removed, and the fight is on.
Unfortunately, the complainant will have to endure retaliation, a hostile work
environment, lack of promotion, and the possibility of termination before the
lawsuit gets to court. Be very mindful that once you decide to take on the
“giant” that all bets are off and you’d better watch your back.
It may appear that you have a few sympathetic ears and some
verbal support. In most cases, you will be ostracized and find yourself alone
on an island wondering what the hell did you get yourself into and why. The old
days of being happy and looking forward to going to work are all but over. Your
new life will be filled with possible depression, seclusion, sleepless nights,
medication and psychological therapy. If you are married, you can count on
having less sex, diminished family intimacy, arguments with family members and
possible suicidal ideation.
If you are fortunate to have saved some money, you may be
able to sustain your current standard of living. You may also be able to deal
with the stress, but this is not normally the case. Either the city or the
state government funds the greater entity, “the department”. Monies are set
aside for lawsuits, and the onus is on the complainant, a.k.a., “YOU” to stay
in the game. You must be acutely aware that the giant will attempt to wear you
down and deplete your savings. This is their plan for you daring to challenge
their authority. Who do you think you are? You are the most important person in
your department because you are challenging the system that wants to maintain
the status quo. The status quo does not perpetuate the change needed in law
enforcement.
So what else won’t they tell you once you leave the academy?
I would venture to say that management would not inform you that you are just a
number and they will make your life difficult. Yes, some will go through their
career without having had any serious problems with their bosses. However,
human behavior will dictate that you will “piss off” someone and they will
attempt to exact revenge against you. A lot of the bosses are just miserable
individuals. They have gotten this way by coming up through the same dysfunctional
system, and they know no better. Also, the system is set up to protect the
bosses and screw the worker. This may appear to be a very cynical view, but if
you were to ask most police officers, especially those who are not the chosen
ones, you would find that this is the overall sentiment.
You may ask yourself how these individuals can go from being
your friend and drinking buddy to the ultimate “jackass.” I believe that as
police officers move up into the management ranks, they want to leave their mark.
Some will initiate programs that benefit the community. Some will try to please
everyone. Then you have those who will listen to the decision makers and do
their bidding and attempt to keep everyone in line. A lot of these individuals
are lonely and insensitive. They are not happy with themselves or their family
lives. The only way to appear important is to bully others. Often they were
bullied when they were growing up. Moreover, the uniform and the job are their
only identity. They put the job ahead of everything and everyone. I believe the
initial metamorphosis takes place while in the police academy. The instructors
make you feel like you are special and that the job is everything. At no time
did they inform you that you are an individual. You are always to consider
yourself as a part of the team. The team is where you derive your power, and
the team comes first. If and when you get on the team, you must perpetuate the
team concept at all cost. You will undoubtedly ruin some friendships that took
years to nurture. However, in your zest to make it, you will stab people in the
back and believe me they will not forget it.
The recurring theme noticed as people move up the ladder is
that idiots come in all races and both genders. Since policing is a predominately
white male profession, you will observe all others partaking in the same
behavior and mannerisms. You would think that as African-American, Hispanics,
Asians, and women move up the ladder of success that they would have compassion
and empathy for those who are still in the struggle. There are some who will
remain faithful to themselves, but it is rare that this occurs. Each group is
unique and needs to be addressed independently so that over generalization does
not occur.
African-Americans have a history of struggle regarding
integration. Their plight has been well documented. The first African-American
police officer would roll over in his grave if he knew what is going on. There
are a lot of African-American police officers that suffer from “double
marginality.” They are torn between being an African-American, who is
responsible to their community, and being a police officer trying to fit into
the profession. For whatever reason, many African-American choose the latter.
It is rather disturbing to see this transformation due in part to the inherent
racism that is prevalent in this criminal justice system. So why does it
happen?
As previously noted, rank is the determining factor that
says you have made it in law enforcement. African-American officers have to
fight for any gains that they have achieved. Some will be martyrs and never get
the recognition. Others will get promoted just because a black body is needed
to fill a spot. Make no mistake about it; African-American police officers will
never get the respect and admiration that their white counterparts receive as a
matter of fact. Sure, you might get a chief of police, who just happens to be
black, but you must understand who will be pulling his or her strings. Is this
to say that all African-American’s sell out? No, that would be irresponsible to
posit such a notion. It is challenging to find a handful that has the sincere
conviction to stand up for what is right. However, can you blame them? It is a
tough road to traverse if you are fighting the machine. Numerous lawsuits have
been filed, and the individuals, who have caused all of the problems, are never
held accountable for their actions. It is the organization and department that
will ultimately bear the responsibility of settling the lawsuit. Oh by the way,
if you did not know it, taxpayers like you and I will eventually pay that bill.
Now, one of the most secretive group of police officers is
the Hispanics. The Hispanic police officers are a quiet and unassuming group.
Never one to yell discrimination or racism, they are often diligent workers who
very seldom complain. Is this a problem? Without a doubt! There is strength in
numbers. Today it's me, and it could be you tomorrow. They are held back as
well as any other minority, yet they won’t complain. I cannot imagine being
slapped in the face and not saying something. Hopefully, their next slap will
leave a mark, and they will feel the pain. I would be remiss if I did not
mention that Hispanics are no different from African-American police officers
when they make it to the top. Some forget where they come from and fail to do
the right thing. Again, based on the tremendous pressure to succeed and retire
with a good pension, can you blame them as well?
The next group is women. You must give them a lot of credit
for wanting to get involved in this sexist, racist, and homophobic profession.
I would venture to say they are less appreciated than the aforementioned
minority groups. However, what is so unusual about women police officers is
that they know how to band together regardless of their differences. Their
ascendancy to upper ranks of management far exceeds other groups. Fortunately
for them, they stress the upward mobility of females and do not mask their
feelings. They can easily get management to listen to them and respond to their
needs. However, it is unfortunate that they take on the same macho persona once
they get in control. It is not a particularly flattering trait, but they did
not become police officers to look pretty for the cameras. So do not expect
them to be anything other than a police officer. So are they any better than
their colleagues? Some are but then again this is law enforcement, and the
nature of the profession dictates how they act as well. The one thing that I
will say to women police officers, whatever you do, please do not sleep with
anyone on the job unless you plan on marrying them. If not, once you cross that
line, everyone in the department will know and you will not be taken seriously.
Oftentimes, these relationships don’t survive and two parties still have to
work together.
I would also like to speak to Asian officers, but they have
not made it a point in their lives to become a part of the law enforcement
profession in significant numbers. Maybe they are the smartest ones and by pass
this profession for a more lucrative one. Who knows?
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention the role that
white males have in law enforcement. To sum it up, they control every aspect of
the criminal justice system. The only advice that I can impart to them is to be
fair and share the wealth. Of course having all that power can be exhilarating,
but realize that integrity is a much better trait.
I expect that this commentary will offend some and disappoint
those that want to become a police officer. For those who are offended, the
truth may hurt, but it is the reality of some. For those who are disappointed,
you should feel grateful that someone has gone out on a limb to tell you the
truth. For all others, it is your decision to embark upon this career. At least
now you go into this profession with your eyes wide open and can make your own
informed decision.
Good luck.
"Vocality trumps neutrality." Dr. BLR, Saint Peter’s
University
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the
author and does not represent any police organization, police officer, or
police department.
