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Personal
Associations
Associations
| Copyright © 2006 - 2011 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
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I say this frequently, and I’ll say it again. Your integrity will be the single
most important thing you’ll take into your police career, and it will be the
single most important thing affecting you throughout your career.
Your personal integrity whether you like it or not is going to be affected
by the personal associations you keep. While you’re beginning your adult
life and career path in a popular culture where every bad thing that
happens to an individual is the fault of somebody else, this load of
propaganda will be of little comfort should you find yourself in a
predicament where your personal association(s) with the wrong person or
people lands you in the midst of troubling circumstances.
When I became a police officer, there was a lot of emphasis placed on
personal associations. If a pre-employment background investigation
revealed that you voluntarily associated with a person(s) of questionable
character, that association(s) could delay or even deny your employment
as a police officer. Once hired, your academy training stressed the
importance of maintaining your integrity by avoiding any personal
associations that might simply cause an appearance of impropriety.
Police departments used to help its police officers avoid compromising
associations by not allowing officers to patrol areas or neighborhoods in
which they reside. Things do change and today many police departments
not only allow their officers to work in neighborhoods where they live, but
they even encourage that compromising practice. This is just one of many
paradigms pushed by the politically correct social engineering experts.
Their reasoning, or better said lack of reasoning, is that you’ll care more
about the neighborhood you police if you’re a resident of that
neighborhood. I honestly don’t know what that means, and I doubt that
those espousing such nonsense have any comprehension of the problems
that can, and probably will, occur when the line between good neighbor and
law enforcer is blurred by two opposing forms of familiarity.
Now, if you’re policing “Mayberry, RFD,” everybody is going to know
everybody, and the residency thing isn’t a big deal. However, if you’re
policing neighborhoods where crime is a real and daily problem, your
familiarity with residents should be professional versus
social/professional. When it comes to the caring part, if you’re not up to
the task of providing police service to the best of your ability regardless of
where you’re policing, then; you shouldn’t even become a police officer.
In 2009, the Baltimore Police Department announced a new policy;
wherein, the department would no longer publicly identify police officers
involved in “police involved shootings.” The term refers to an incident
wherein a police officer discharges his or her firearm in the line of duty.
Naturally, the most serious incident of a police involved shooting occurs
when an officer wounds or kills a suspect. Needless to say, the new policy
created uproar from the media, politicians, and community organizations.
Baltimore’s Police Commissioner explained that identifying officers could
place the safety of the officer and the safety of the officer’s family in
jeopardy. He went on to cite other cities with similar policies. However,
he failed to mention that Baltimore is now one of those progressive cities
that allow and encourage its officers to live in neighborhoods where drug
dealing and violent crime is commonplace. Baltimore has nine police
districts. In the past when more reasoned policies prevailed, an officer
whose safety was determined to be in jeopardy for any reason could simply
be reassigned to another police district. You should know where I’m going
with this; a simple reassignment is a lot easier and more practical than
moving the family and establishing a new residence.
I used the residency issue combined with a police involved shooting to
illustrate just one of a myriad of problems which can result from the
social/professional relationship with those who you police. Trust me on
this; it’s a lot easier policing people when they see you only as a police
officer possessing the authority vested in you rather than the guy next
door. While you may be able to maintain a clear separation between your
social and professional contact with others, the others won’t be able to
maintain that discipline. The others rarely think reasonably, and during
periods of stress or crisis they never think reasonably. Herein lays the
stress for you. I don’t care how good you think you are – a
social/professional relationship is the ultimate oxymoron for a police
officer. Your profession is unique; you have the power and duty to
physically deny others of their liberty when warranted. Not a small thing –
and a thing best kept away from home.
While some thoughtful contemplation on your part can keep you from
forming associations with the wrong people, family members of
questionable or criminal character can be more problematic. However, as
long as you don’t withhold or conceal information, evidence or abet the
criminal conduct of a family member in any way, it’s just a form of
unavoidable stress you have to bear.
Personal associations with negative impact aren’t limited to the public or
family members. Unfortunately, there will be police officers with whom
you’ll want to avoid close personal association. But – this isn’t nearly as
difficult as you might think. As long as you continuously perform with a
high level of integrity, police officers of questionable character will avoid
you.
As you contemplate a police career, you must realize that the powers
you’ll possess as a police officer will place you in a class where your
behavior on all levels will be under constant scrutiny. The establishment
and maintenance of personal associations is one area where you can
exercise total control and deny those who would attack your integrity
through personal associations the ability to do so.
most important thing you’ll take into your police career, and it will be the
single most important thing affecting you throughout your career.
Your personal integrity whether you like it or not is going to be affected
by the personal associations you keep. While you’re beginning your adult
life and career path in a popular culture where every bad thing that
happens to an individual is the fault of somebody else, this load of
propaganda will be of little comfort should you find yourself in a
predicament where your personal association(s) with the wrong person or
people lands you in the midst of troubling circumstances.
When I became a police officer, there was a lot of emphasis placed on
personal associations. If a pre-employment background investigation
revealed that you voluntarily associated with a person(s) of questionable
character, that association(s) could delay or even deny your employment
as a police officer. Once hired, your academy training stressed the
importance of maintaining your integrity by avoiding any personal
associations that might simply cause an appearance of impropriety.
Police departments used to help its police officers avoid compromising
associations by not allowing officers to patrol areas or neighborhoods in
which they reside. Things do change and today many police departments
not only allow their officers to work in neighborhoods where they live, but
they even encourage that compromising practice. This is just one of many
paradigms pushed by the politically correct social engineering experts.
Their reasoning, or better said lack of reasoning, is that you’ll care more
about the neighborhood you police if you’re a resident of that
neighborhood. I honestly don’t know what that means, and I doubt that
those espousing such nonsense have any comprehension of the problems
that can, and probably will, occur when the line between good neighbor and
law enforcer is blurred by two opposing forms of familiarity.
Now, if you’re policing “Mayberry, RFD,” everybody is going to know
everybody, and the residency thing isn’t a big deal. However, if you’re
policing neighborhoods where crime is a real and daily problem, your
familiarity with residents should be professional versus
social/professional. When it comes to the caring part, if you’re not up to
the task of providing police service to the best of your ability regardless of
where you’re policing, then; you shouldn’t even become a police officer.
In 2009, the Baltimore Police Department announced a new policy;
wherein, the department would no longer publicly identify police officers
involved in “police involved shootings.” The term refers to an incident
wherein a police officer discharges his or her firearm in the line of duty.
Naturally, the most serious incident of a police involved shooting occurs
when an officer wounds or kills a suspect. Needless to say, the new policy
created uproar from the media, politicians, and community organizations.
Baltimore’s Police Commissioner explained that identifying officers could
place the safety of the officer and the safety of the officer’s family in
jeopardy. He went on to cite other cities with similar policies. However,
he failed to mention that Baltimore is now one of those progressive cities
that allow and encourage its officers to live in neighborhoods where drug
dealing and violent crime is commonplace. Baltimore has nine police
districts. In the past when more reasoned policies prevailed, an officer
whose safety was determined to be in jeopardy for any reason could simply
be reassigned to another police district. You should know where I’m going
with this; a simple reassignment is a lot easier and more practical than
moving the family and establishing a new residence.
I used the residency issue combined with a police involved shooting to
illustrate just one of a myriad of problems which can result from the
social/professional relationship with those who you police. Trust me on
this; it’s a lot easier policing people when they see you only as a police
officer possessing the authority vested in you rather than the guy next
door. While you may be able to maintain a clear separation between your
social and professional contact with others, the others won’t be able to
maintain that discipline. The others rarely think reasonably, and during
periods of stress or crisis they never think reasonably. Herein lays the
stress for you. I don’t care how good you think you are – a
social/professional relationship is the ultimate oxymoron for a police
officer. Your profession is unique; you have the power and duty to
physically deny others of their liberty when warranted. Not a small thing –
and a thing best kept away from home.
While some thoughtful contemplation on your part can keep you from
forming associations with the wrong people, family members of
questionable or criminal character can be more problematic. However, as
long as you don’t withhold or conceal information, evidence or abet the
criminal conduct of a family member in any way, it’s just a form of
unavoidable stress you have to bear.
Personal associations with negative impact aren’t limited to the public or
family members. Unfortunately, there will be police officers with whom
you’ll want to avoid close personal association. But – this isn’t nearly as
difficult as you might think. As long as you continuously perform with a
high level of integrity, police officers of questionable character will avoid
you.
As you contemplate a police career, you must realize that the powers
you’ll possess as a police officer will place you in a class where your
behavior on all levels will be under constant scrutiny. The establishment
and maintenance of personal associations is one area where you can
exercise total control and deny those who would attack your integrity
through personal associations the ability to do so.
