Kevin Johnson - The Crumbling Wall: What is wrong with law enforcement in America

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The Crumbling Wall

What is wrong with law enforcement in America

Kevin Johnson

Copyright 2021 Kevin Johnson

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2021

ISBN 978-1-64952-704-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64952-705-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Welcome, Why, and Wreckage

As I navigated my career as a law enforcement officer, I found it increasingly difficult to remain one of the guys while still serving and protecting the way I had always promised myself I would.

I had a choice to make, and I chose to serve and protect, and that made me less popular among my peers. I believe that I was respected for who I knew, for what I was able to accomplish at times, and for the relationship I had with the community.

But all too often, I was overlooked when it came to advancement, promotion, and the typical behaviors that were considered fun or dangerous that were relegated only to the boys club.

So why is that? We all get into this line of work to make a difference in someones life, or so I thought. I know that I did. I found out over time that more than a few people get into this line of work because they are graduating college with debt beyond belief and no real job prospects. Colleges hold job fairs, and many police departments attend these job fairs with promises of tuition reimbursement, career advancement, and decent money for anyone who is young and in good shape.

So police departments are being flooded with recent college graduates, sometimes people dropping out of college for hopes of paying off some debt and getting into law enforcement as a stopgap measure to stem the tide of stresses from parents and professors.

Gone are the days of the police officer from birth whose only hope in life was to change the world. So we see the beginnings of the degradation of the heritage of the community police officer, the one who knows his whole life that he wants to serve his community and make his whole town proud.

Welcome the new and improved police officer who is college educated, full of vim and vigor, and anxious to prove to Mom and Dad that the immense amount of money spent on five years of college werent wasted on drinking, hazing, and passable grades.

But there is one problem. The new officer doesnt go home to be a cop. He stays close to his friends or at least far enough from Mom and Dad to be his own man or woman. Why? Because we dont really want to go back to the town where the people knew us. Thats why our new graduates dont live in the town he works in. Lets see what the excuses I have heard over the years are:

• I dont want to work where I live. They will bother me while I am off.
• I dont trust people to mess with my stuff when I am at work.
• I dont want my kids going to public school where I work.

These are all signs that our new officers dont trust the public and dont command trust from the public.

So we have our first signs of disconnect from the community and the jurisdiction that we have sworn to protect and serve. Which, in essence, has eroded the actual statement that we are swearing to.

By definition, to swear is to bind oneself by oath.

By definition, an oath is to witness ones determination to speak the truth.

Now we have people who are working eight, ten, or twelve hours a day in a city they really have no emotional tie to, probably didnt attend high school in, and admittedly dont intend to send their children to school in serving and protecting our city.

Now, its just a job. The best law enforcement officers never take this as a job but a career that they cant imagine not doing.

So to wrap up this section, lets talk about the wreckage. What has the disconnected officer created for those of us dedicated to the law enforcement lifestyle? How have they bastardized what we live or lived for?

I wont go into them in-depth, but I will give you a few examples.

1. A few officers were responding to a reckless-driving call when they used the app to determine if a woman would be arrested. Though the app landed on tails, indicating shed be released, the officers decided to arrest her anyway. Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant said he learned of the incident just before the July 4 holiday.
2. An ex-Hopewell cop got six years for sexual battery counts.
3. Three former Florida police officers were sentenced to prison this week for conspiring to falsely arrest people to improve the departments crime statistics at the instruction of their police chief.
4. Lieutenant Freddy Williams was charged with evidence tampering, possession of a controlled substance, and violating the rules of conduct by a county officer or employeetwo felonies and a misdemeanor.
5. An East Greenbush police officer was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession of stolen property as part of an investigation by the state attorney generals office.
6. A Bonifay police officer was in custody after reportedly selling drugs out of his patrol car.
7. A police officer, who was one of them, was formerly employed with the City of Chesapeake for more than ten years. When the vehicle was searched, officials uncovered approximately three hundred pounds of high-grade marijuana with an approximate street value of $2,880,000.
8. A Bernice police officer had been arrested by the Union Parish sheriffs narcotics agents and charged with malfeasance in office and abuse of power.
9. The acting chief of the Sunray Police Department was being held on a charge of tampering with a governmental document.
10. A suspended East Greenwich police officer was accused of sending lewd text messages to a woman he had arrested earlier on the same day.

Promises to the Public

Richmond Police Department (Virginia)

Accountability

Community-Focus

Professionalism

Innovation

Integrity

Shared Trust

Mission

We make Richmond a safer city through community policing and engagement.

Vision

The City of Richmond is a thriving community offering safe neighborhoods and an enhanced quality of life through responsive action, communication, and public trust.

Atlanta Police Department

Mission Statement

The mission of the Atlanta Police Department is to create a safer Atlanta by reducing crime, ensuring the safety of our citizens and building trust in partnership with our community.

Vision Statement

We are a source of pride of the citizens of Atlanta, admired among law enforcement agencies world-wide, recognized for our professionalism, integrity and service to our communities.

Core Values

Professionalism: Taking pride in our actions, duties, development, and appearance

Integrity: Adhering to moral and ethical principles at all times

Commitment: Striving for excellence, accountability and effectiveness in our performance

Courage: Instilling trust and standing for justice in the face of danger

Raleigh Police Department (North Carolina)

Vision

The Raleigh Police Department promotes a positive level of real and perceived safety within the city of Raleigh that reflects a thriving atmosphere in which to live, work, and play.

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