OPINION: Weighing police use of force
Much is being written about police forces throughout America abusing the use of force and acting as judge and jury and executioner in the selective performance of their jobs.
Many articles blame inadequate training and lack of continual screening and psychological testing and therapy that should be continually ongoing to weed out bad authoritarian complex personalities to be on a police force.
Others blame the hiring of former military combatants who are trained to kill and bring war zone psychological issues with them back to civilian life.
And still others accuse the police of racial prejudice and biases against minorities in society. They see police force corruption and a “code blue” mentality of covering for each other as the major problem… creating an “us against them” conflict.
As a former university student of law, former leader of a neighborhood watch program, police academy graduate, former Arapahoe County volunteer deputy sheriff riding around in patrol cars, Citizen Advisory Council member for the U.S. Border Patrol in Whitefish, and certified by Flathead County Sheriff’s Office for community emergency response training, I want to weigh in on this highly complex, controversial issue.
To begin with, as a society we need the personal protection a police force affords us. We need to honor and respect them for that. If we aren’t supportive of the police, they might give up doing such a dangerous job and find other employment. Think about it. What an exceptionally high risk way to earn a living when serving as a police officer. They are subject to human frailties and the most powerful of human emotions called “fear for their lives” just like the rest of us ordinary citizens. How many of you would want to do that for a living?
How many of you want a return to the old wild west of “frontier justice” with everyone defending themselves with their own guns? (Perhaps I shouldn’t pose that last question in Montana?)
In any event, there is a genetic strength difference on average between the white race and black race which may cause fear for white police officers going against black perpetrators that is ignored in police training and needs to be addressed. Fear for one’s life is all powerful.
So, training must be provided for the cultural differences between races that do exist but are taboo to talk about lest the accusation of prejudice be brought. Talking about this increases understanding and eases tensions.
Our laws provide for self-defense of one’s life… with equal and opposite force exerted as appropriate and reasonably necessary against imminent deadly force. The onus is on a person to not threaten someone else’s life, with no burden of proof on the one whose life is being threatened. The advantage is to the victim being threatened and goes to their state of mind, namely “feelings” of fear for their life.
In the case of police officers, they are held to the highest of standards in dispensing the use of force in their duties in defense of themselves and third persons they are sworn to protect. There is high risk of liability if they make a mistake or error in judgment. Who wants to do such a difficult, thankless job?
In a confrontation between police officer and their suspect it can be hard to tell who is who under some circumstances. Best to submit to the police officer, in the performance of their duty, and allow the law to sort things out as it was intended, later on.
Yes, this is too complex a subject to take lightly or resolve easily. Even with the risk of unwanted, occasional collateral damage that exists, for the vastly greater good I favor the police forces that protect us despite the high personal risk to themselves.
Let the discussion begin.
Bill Baum is a resident of the Badrock Canyon.