Trump’s troubling talk turns cops into props
A great deal of comment has followed recent remarks made by the president who said police officers need not treat people they arrest “too nice.”
Donald Trump indicated that it is not necessary to take care so that those arrested do not knock their heads as they are placed in the backseat of a squad car.
I do not know if the president was intentionally trying to encourage police violence on suspects or even on ruthless gangs like MS-13. I do not know if it was intended as a joke, as it’s been suggested.
I do know that what Trump said was inappropriate and causes problems for those of us who are in law enforcement.
Some may view the president’s comments as refreshing, a way of not mincing words. But they could also be viewed as a serious lack of personal discipline, or as a way of excusing improper conduct without owning the consequences.
The fact is, people listen more carefully to the off-hand remarks of powerful elected officials than they do to the off-hand remarks of a flamboyant private businessman.
For my part, I believe that we can be, and we should be, “tough on crime,” but we can do so without being lawless in the process. I would also like to think that it’s possible to be refreshingly direct in one’s comments without being reckless.
Sadly, the president’s remarks provoked applause by many officers who were present. Some of that applause may have indicated cynical agreement or endorsement of his words. Some of it may have indicated that his remarks were viewed as, somehow, humorous.
It may have also indicated a desire to show respect to the office of the president. It could have been polite applause for the president but not the content of his speech.
The gathering where the president made his remarks, and the event we saw on video, is an example of a common practice by politicians.
Politicians of all stripes like to use law enforcement officers as props. I believe it is important not to allow ourselves to be used in such a manner. This is sometimes difficult when we seek to show respect for our elected officials.
For myself, I do not care to be used in ways that could serve to undermine community trust or professional responsibility. I do not care to be portrayed as politically correct or politically incorrect with a wink and a nod. I do not wish to be recruited to an agenda which features incivility.
For me, the bottom line is this: The president’s words can appear to tolerate or advocate irresponsible and illegal policing. And that’s a problem.
It is especially problematic because it comes at a time when law enforcement is dealing with a false narrative that cops exist to brutalize communities.
The president’s words, unfortunately, feed that false narrative and make our jobs harder and more dangerous.
American culture makes way too much room for inflated egos, insults and incivility. It’s time to grow up and act more like responsible adults. Let’s get beyond props and pandering, insults and posing; we need to move past the extremes of tough-guy talk versus shallow, saccharine “group hug” rhetoric.
Instead, let’s address, and have our leaders address, the vital, morally-complex, real-world problems at the intersection of police responsibility and citizen/community responsibility.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor has led the law enforcement agency since 2001. He initially posted this on his Facebook page.
This story was originally published August 6, 2017 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Trump’s troubling talk turns cops into props."