ISSUE: Should Law Enforcement act as Guardians or Warriors?
FACTS: In the early to mid-1800’s, when some of the first full time police departments were formed, it was with the understanding that the police were the people and the people were the police. This ensured that although they were tasked with protecting the people, the people understood that the police was one of them. Having this understanding allowed them to operate as partners, all with the same goal of keeping their communities safe. Many times officers would be assigned to patrol their own neighborhoods, which was an added incentive for them to do a good job and made them accountable to their own neighbors. “Perhaps it is time to revisit the wisdom of Plato and Sir Robert Peel…show more content… One negative aspect of this is the military rules of engagement, which differs greatly from civilian law enforcement. One of the biggest differences is the acceptable casualty rate, or as it is sometimes referred to, collateral damage. Within civilian law enforcement, there is not acceptable casualty rate. We are all round accountable, meaning we are held accountable for every round (bullet) we…show more content… Although it has been misconstrued, the intent of the warrior was to keep everyone safe from those who wanted to harm others.
The mere fact that we have people willing to enter into an occupation that requires to to wear a bullet proof vest and carry a gun, is a noble act. Other than the military, this occupation does require a mindset to that acknowledges your understanding that at anytime you may be killed or have to kill. Although many serve their entire career without having to fire their weapon, they all understand they may have to one day.
The training involved allows law enforcement to understand the dynamics of war and the reality of being shot at while being required to continue to protect yourself and others. They can not only train for compliance, they must train for worst case scenarios, otherwise, they set themselves up for failure.
CON
This mindset creates a division between the citizens and law enforcement. Although invisible, there’s a line drawn between the warrior and the enemy, which is believed to be the very citizens they are sworn to