[Scorpyo]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

Ahhh, law enforcement. The job everyone thinks they can do better than the people that actually do it. Master's degrees from television shows, apparently.

I normally just tune out all law enforcement critics. People who have not experienced (first hand) the job really do not understand what it takes. They do not understand decades of living at tactical alert, at being privy to the goings-on of people and the true nature of dangers in the world and how quickly and unexpectedly they appear. People are more concerned about getting tickets or calling on cops because they don't like the neighbor's wind chimes. They do not know of 90% of the dangers and encounters that occur, only the ones the news picks up and publicizes.

All that being said, there were two large failures, in my estimation. Primarily, those in charge were cowards - political cowards. Paralysis by analysis. Too afraid to make a mistake, better to do nothing at all mentality. Have you ever seen the old T-shirt from the L.A. riots? Sure wish I still had one: a waffle pattern boot print real big across the back, and the words, "Footprint of a coward." The twist is that the waffle pattern was made up of rank insignias. Clever shirt.

Secondarily, the line level offices that were too afraid, (whether personal safety or career safety) or too morally bankrupt (thank you modern society) to step up and override the primary causation factor, the leadership.

Fear of being dragged into Federal court to be charged criminally or civil court to be charged personally and the media fanning of flames has taken its drastic toll on law enforcers and their actions or lack thereof.

Do not underestimate the daily attacks they undergo - the outright disrespect, hatred, and assaults that no other profession endures. No one routinely shoots at lawyers, as much as people don't like them, they just make jokes at their expense. Law enforcement endures exponentially more dangers than ANY other profession, and they are constantly second-guessed by every TV watcher in America (and abroad apparently since Prince Harry has opted to weigh-in now). Even here, in this thread of supposed law enforcement supporters, the armchair criticism is unmistakable - and amateur.

I find the individual officer's response disgusting, but understandable.

I find the weasel-like response by the leadership to be treasonous to their oath - but it is neither unprecedented (Talking to you, 1992 LAPD) nor uncommon (every city, big and small, pandering to politicians to maintain their careers). Even the L.A. County Board of Supervisors last week voted 4-1 to give themselves the unconstitutional authority to fire the County Sheriff. The lawfully elected by the people County Sheriff. So much for an independent law enforcement leader who answered only to the electorate.

I suppose this is Progressivism. Defund the police (training), etc. If so - the USA is damned to further decay, and eventual failure. Tragic.

What a horrible response. No one wants to hear truth, experience, logic and reasoning. I do, so I agree with you 110%. My son retired from NYPD. He used to share experiences with me. One comes to mind. 2 officers were in a shootout with a perp in Manhattan. The cops shot dozens of rounds. Only one round hit and wounded the perp but in the process a few bystanders were hit by bullets from the police. So, what guarantee is there that the police would not have shot some children in the shootout? Maybe some would have been shot so, yes, political cowardice and analysis paralysis by the leadership probably was the main ingredient to this disaster. Would they (the police) have stormed into the classroom if instructed to do so? I would like to believe most would have done so. We'll never know but it was a no-win situation the minute that low-life creep got into the classroom.