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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Myth of the Hero Cop
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/05/the_myth_of_the_hero_cop_police_unions_have_spread_a_dangerous_message_about.htmlPolice officers earn more than you think for a job that’s less dangerous than you imagine.
It’s hard to prosecute cops. There are two main reasons for this: The first is the special deference that jurors, judges, and prosecutors show officers thanks to the widespread perception that they are heroic public figures valiantly trying to protect us. The second is the bevy of special laws around the country that are designed to shield police officers from the very tactics the police regularly use on ordinary suspects. For example, in most states, law enforcement officers cannot be questioned until they have been given a few days to get their stories straight. And many states have passed laws—such as Section 50-a of New York’s Civil Rights Law—that are specifically designed to make it almost impossible to obtain or use at trial records of a police officer’s prior brutality or misconduct. These two factors can make convicting police officers extremely difficult, and it is no accident; it is the direct result of the sustained effort by police unions to protect officers from even the most deserved discipline or prosecution.
… While the rules that unfairly protect the police must be changed, it is also high time to re-examine the foundation of these policies: the public perception—lovingly curated by police unions—of the very nature of police work.
For the last three decades, police unions have managed to portray their members as indispensable heroes in a deadly and dangerous war. Fallen officers, like Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate, who were shot in Mississippi on May 9, or Brian Moore, whose funeral in New York was a few days earlier, are uniformly described as heroes. One need only listen to the fife and drums, witness the squadron of NYPD helicopters flying the missing man formation, or gaze at the image of tens of thousands of white-gloved officers standing at attention to understand the profound nature of their particular brand of heroism.
But as we read the heartrending newspaper coverage and weep at the pomp that attends a line-of-duty death, we can become a party to a false and dangerous narrative that does more to rend our society asunder than heal our legitimately broken hearts. That’s because the story of the hero cop is also used to legitimize brutality as necessary, justify policies that favor the police, and punish anyone who dares to question police tactics or oppose the unions’ agendas. Quite simply, in the years since the Sept. 11 attacks, the story of the hero cop has become so powerful and pervasive that even questioning police behavior is decried as disloyal, un-American, and dangerous.
"Moreover, we pay our police officers handsomely in New York City. It costs taxpayers more than $8.5 billion a year to pay for the NYPD, and between salary, overtime, and the value of their benefits, the average beat cop costs the taxpayers more than $150,000 per year. That is not an argument for paying police officers less, just that we already pay these civil servants a lot more money than most people realize to do a job that is a lot less dangerous than most people imagine.
We should appreciate the value and sacrifice of those who choose to serve and protect. But that appreciation should not constitute a get-out-of-jail-free card for the vast army of 800,000 people granted general arrest powers and increasingly armed with automatic weapons and armored vehicles.
There are real-world harms that follow from the myths perpetuated by police unions. Arguments about the dangerous nature of police work drive the increasing militarization of police departments. The life-and-death nature of the job is used to push for extremely generous medical leave, overtime, and pay packages. Most insidious of all, the exaggerated danger and trumped-up heroism drives an us-versus-them mentality that suffuses contemporary big-city policing and bleeds into the criminal justice system, causing systemic imbalances that chronically favor the police over citizens.
Too many cop apologists keep turning to this line of heroism to exonerate cops who kill or to stifle discussion.
I can't think of any group I've had to tip toe around more when discussing a negative issue.
They complain incessantly about painting all cops with a broad brush while painting themselves with the broad brush of heroism or having such a difficult job. Lots of people have difficult jobs, and they are truly underappreciated (teachers for instance) UNLIKE cops who are shown as heroes at every media opportunity including the MSM movie, TV show. I don't believe I've ever witnessed people form any other chosen career complain about their jobs so much.
There isn't a speech given that doesn't include how they supposedly put their lives on the line for us every day... and that's a bunch of baloney that does nothing but help criminal cops keep their jobs.
Its time to stop with the continued myth they are heroes valiantly putting their lives on the line for little or no pay, crappy hours and no thanks. Because it's a lie that they use to continue to engage in misconduct with impunity. It is dragged out every time there is a media scrutinized shooting whether it was one of their many victims or an officer .
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JonathanRackham
(1,604 posts)Different town's, cities, municipalities have different pay scales. An NYC police officer would not get the same pay as an Allentown, PA police officer. Pay is dependent on regional inflation. Same statement can be made for firefighters. Same statement for many government employees. The exact same federal employee job in two different cities will have two different pay rates.
I think Slate is off base with their article and generalizes too much. They are part of the problem not the solution.
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)professions that require educations.
Top base pay $78,026; total compensation $88,096 including top base pay, longevity pay, holiday pay and uniform allowance as of 7/31/2012. (Future contracts will be negotiated between NYC and the PBA.) This does not include night differential or overtime.
Starting salary
1st yr $45,673.63 after 5.5yrs $88,096.45
Additional Benefits
10 Paid vacation days during first & second year
13 Paid vacation days during third, fourth & fifth year
27 Paid vacation days after 5 years of service
Unlimited sick leave with full pay
A choice of paid medical programs
Prescription, dental, and eyeglass coverage
Annuity fund
Deferred Compensation Plan, 401K and I.R.A.
Optional retirement at one half salary after 22 years of service
Annual $12,000 Variable Supplement Fund (upon retirement)
Annual banking of $12,000 Variable Supplement Fund after 22 years of service (if not retiring)
Excellent promotional opportunities
Educational opportunities
Additional benefits are available to military personnel.
http://www.nypdrecruit.com/#benefits
The problem is cops keep portraying themselves as heroes ..and they are rarely in positions where split second decisions are made.
Slate is not part of the problem. Pointing out that cops are full of shit for the purposes of exonerating themselves or reaping undeserved hero worship is only the problem of police who desperately want to keep that narrative going.
The problem at this point is that the police absolutely refuse to admit the have a problem...that alone would go a long way to stopping the insanity.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Wonder why? Seems many should try it since it's so good.
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)
Yep back to the typical
"you couldn't do it"
Next you'll use the tried and true
"Just wait until you need them..." line
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Prove that!!!!!
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)That was the entire purpose of your post.
Or are you going to claim you were simply commenting on how interest should be peaking now that the salaries and job description shows they arent "warriors dedicated to fighting the war out in the streets" as they say?
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Where you saw bravery I'll never know.
ronnie624
(5,764 posts)Screening should be very stringent.
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)
Mosby
(16,306 posts)There is a huge pool of applicants. A lot of people join the military and corrections departments to make themselves more desirable candidates. I personally have known several people who spent years trying to join the police force.
As for pay in the city I live in,Phoenix PD start out at 52K, no college required. I think they max out around 80-90K but obviously rank makes a big difference. Near retirement they game the pension system by getting overtime that increases their retirement payout. The AZ republic has done several exposes on the phx pd but no one seems to care. They blow through more than 300 million per year of taxpayer money with little to no civilian oversight.
ronnie624
(5,764 posts)Do you think laws should be enacted that make it more difficult to investigate brutality and that shield police officers from prosecution?
JonathanRackham
(1,604 posts)Respect is a two edge sword, police can act like dicks and citizens can act like dicks. The problem has been escalating for years. If everyone stopped acting like dicks we'd have less problems.
Police power; hell no. They're over militarized as is. The power granted to them is by the people we elect.
ronnie624
(5,764 posts)That view doesn't seem consistent with any concept of democratc principles.
JonathanRackham
(1,604 posts)You can totally disagree with a cop and be a dick/not be a dick.
People see it as an excuse to escalate a situation.
Empathy and compassion are universal. Gandhi was the master of using it on his enemies.
My father called it being dumb like a fox.
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)or they give out what are commonly known as POP citations. Or pissing of police citations.
Cops see any questions of their actions or any wrong eye movement as a reason to escalate situations.
It is extremely common.
Logical
(22,457 posts)JonathanRackham
(1,604 posts)The campus public safety did not lose their cool. Who was the smart one in that specific situation?
What kind of example did that professor set for their students? Education occurs both in and out of the classroom.
When did volume become a substitute for reason and logic?
Rex
(65,616 posts)Those dam college professors! 
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)When did volume become a substitute for reason and logic?"
A message you might want to give to the police forces across the nation.
Pointing to one college professor and pretending thats somehow on an equal level with a nation full of arrogant cops shouting obsceneties on a daily basis at people is absurd.
There are literally thousands of videos showing this kind of behavior is common from police. Its always waved off by police with the "hard job" have to deal with dregs of society excuse.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)I've seen people posting anecdotal allegations on a message board to support their premise, hoping others will believe their creative stories.
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)"""" police can act like dicks and citizens can act like dicks. The problem has been escalating for years.""
