For me this whole thing is a harbinger of the Role of Law Enforcement in America. We’re apparently still defining it. I deal with that strategic issue everyday in my work with agencies.

With lots of professionals coming back from deployments, and the predictable attitudes and testosterone loads that come with it, of course … give …some folks a bunch of ordnance and they’re going to get their goobers twitching with any opportunity to use it.

I get that part.

I wasn’t on the ground; I wasn’t privy to tactical information. I get that part as well.

However, there is something else that I truly get … that I’m uncertain everyone gets: I think the Big Show (of Force) doesn’t play well with the average citizen and may even exacerbate certain situations. There’s an old rule at play, “If you want to CAUSE and emotion, HAVE an emotion …”

I wouldn’t want to be the guy trying to get a levy passed or a positive story in the media for the Police Department in that community …

And, it is only now coming out why the original interaction happened. Why was the Officer there to begin with? THERE’S THE KEY, at least to the apparent tussle and the ensuing shooting.

And, predictably, some – not ALL – of the overly emotional, highly excitable, members of the citizenry used the event to go off on a spree of lawlessness all their own … looting, tearing down their own community, threatening, etc. A sad, but, as I noted, predictable response from criminal opportunists. (In confusion there is opportunity …)

So now we have a BUNCH of problems where before we just had one: SOMEONE PUT AN OFFICER IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO USE DEADLY FORCE.

Those noted, and, I could be wrong on these, but, I predict …

1. The Chief will likely lose his job, perhaps “retire” early;
2. The City Council will pat themselves on the back by severely restricting both the acquisition and use of the heavy armaments;
3. A DOJ investigation of both Use of Force and Civil Rights issues will follow;
4. Everyone will disagree with the DOJs conclusions and recommendations, claiming cover-ups and political motives;
5. Few, if any, will be prosecuted for looting or other crimes;
6. The Governor will get re-elected next time;
7. The Mayor will NOT get re-elected next time;
8. Pundits will ponder in the fashion of the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz;
9. The media will keep hashing it over and over and over again because it sustains advertising sales;
10. The Captain will be the next Colonel of the State Police (or the next Chief in that town); (And, good for him!);
11. A few LEOs across the Nation will get their hackles up … feel like “victims” and continue to try to justify MRAPs, camouflage uniforms, military tactics, battle gear, surface-to-air missiles and so on without taking time to understand why law abiding citizens worry about such things;
12. A few LEOs – and Citizens – will use this to cement their existing “Us versus Them” beliefs;
13. Americans will give lip service to what will turn out to be no real effort into understanding why it all happened – all within their individual World View of race, cops, government, etc.;
14. No minds will be changed; and,
15. No true, core problems will get solved.
16. And, somewhere, there is an attorney anticipating the prospect of billable hours …

I now return you to your regularly-scheduled viewing. ]]> https://dustyboots1.wordpress.com/2014/08/15/ferguson-missouri-burning/feed/ 0 dustyboots1 https://dustyboots1.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/dustyboots1-wordpress-com-i-cannot-over/ https://dustyboots1.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/dustyboots1-wordpress-com-i-cannot-over/#respond Thu, 01 May 2014 22:01:17 +0000 http://dustyboots1.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/dustyboots1-wordpress-com-i-cannot-over/ dustyboots1.wordpress.com: I cannot over stress, nor will I ever apologize for appearing to over stress, the critical requirement for all… http://wp.me/p1993X-do