[cbmerl]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

.
.
I would sincerely hope that most of us here in The Villages feel this way too.
.
.

I absolutely, positively agree! Well said...AMEN!

[MrFlorida]

When I walk down the street and I see a cop, I feel safe. When I walk down the street and see a group of gang bangers I feel scared. You decide which side you want to be on.....

[BlackhawksFan]

If it were only that simple.

I'm subscribing to Trevor Noah's theory. There are good apples and bad apples, it's the tree that's rotten.

[Byte1]

In the Villages, a police officer will rarely have to pay for a drink or meal. Every time I see one in a restaurant and try to pay for their meal, someone else has always beat me to it. I am proud of my neighbors when I see this. I have had nothing but good interactions with the local police and have found them to be very professional and yet very easy to have a conversation with.
Defund the police, my "@***!" They need more funding for equipment and training, as well as recruitment.

[Left4850]

Good officers should be admired.
Bad officers should be fired.
They do not rise and fall together.
The same can be said for every profession that exists.

[graciegirl]

There have been some wonderful posts on this thread.

I woke up today very discouraged about the world and the country as half of us are stuck, having to watch events that will have nothing to hold them back.

It is good to know that age does bring wisdom, as is evident by some very wise people sharing their views on this thread. I am so glad to live here. Most people I have met are kind and sage.

[Justus]

Originally Posted by bob47

This is one of the most rational postings I've ever read.

Obviously you have no idea what happens in the case of a police-related "incident". Police departments are answerable to local governments, i.e., politicos. They do not "protect" an officer involved. On the contrary, the officer, guilty or innocent, is stripped of his duties, badge, gun, etc., and placed on leave until the matter is resolved. This could take months or years. His/her life and career - and that of his family, including his children - is suspended until it is over. Then, the press and all the sidewalk judges and juries, have a field day. Often his family is harassed, maybe their lives are put in jeopardy because of press exposure. If, in the end, the officer is found innocent, it doesn't matter because he has effectively been publicly convicted and his life has been ruined forever. All to protect people who sit back, secure and safe, then condemn them. I wouldn't take the job.

[Marty94]

Originally Posted by jswirs

[/U][/I][/B]
You ECHO my sentiments, exactly. NO ONE, including policeman, are above the law, and it's about time those that discredit the police force are held accountable for their actions. Like many other organizations who go to extremes to protect their own, (for example, the Catholic church and their pedophile priest), it's time for accountability.

My cousin, a lawyer, works in a certain state (not this state) and settles monetary claims for victims of police offenses. He is currently working on a state bill that gives police departments more authority to terminate a police officer for offenses and prevent them from seeking re-employment by simply moving to another county. He said that he repeatedly pays settlements against the same officers as these officers are protected by very strong unions who contribute significantly to elected officials. In the past, there has been little interest in reform, but he is hoping that will change.

I know all too well the power of unions. I had 3 lawyers working full time on termination cases that should have never been questioned. Even with overwhelming evidence, most of the time we had to settle or face lengthy proceedings. Our ability to terminate was greatly hindered.

[giorgio1948]

Count me in ~

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

.
.
I would sincerely hope that most of us here in The Villages feel this way too.
.
.

DeanFL: All I can say is Dido’s!

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

It seems many feel it is all or nothing, on almost every topic. Pandemic has a cure or doesn't. Vaccines are 100% affective or not affective at all.

And people have to chose to be for the police or against them. PERIOD.

I disagree with those presumptions. I can support the police while at the same time call for the incarceration of police that abuse their positions of power or break the law.

There are 15,000 murders in this country every year. That is only 0.015% of the population of Americans. Since it is such a small percentage should we just look the other way when a murder is committed? Why bother prosecuting that small percentage of Americans - when it is obvious that the overwhelming majority of Americans are good people are not murders.

Pretty silly?

Well, so is ignoring a police officer spaying pepper spray in the face of a patriot serving his country in uniform.
So is, justifying shooting a person in the back who is walking away with their hands raised, because they were walking away.
So, is, justifying killing a person by kneeling on their throat.

So, is.

These officers, the ones that are guilty, are a disgrace to the police force and the uniforms they wear.

I completely support the officers that uphold the law. I am 100% in favor of prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law any officer that abuses their position of power, or brakes the law in the line of duty.

Thank you for having the guts to post this piece. Unfortunately, too many using TOTV have an us or them attitude. Perhaps because they have never had the pleasure of living in a community where the police are respected.

[riamd1954]

Agree

[mjpuleo]

A few bad apples, but our law enforcement officers are there for us to protect us and lay their lives on the line for us as seen in so many instances where some officers were killed by thugs. RESPECT YOUR POLICE AND GOD BLESS THEM.

[PamfromNY]

Thank God that lousy cop was deemed guilty on all counts. He murdered that man. Most cops do serve and protect and I commend them.

[mydavid]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I back the concept of a strong police department with humane, properly trained peace officers who know how to put their bias aside when it comes time for them to do their jobs. Honestly I don't care if they have a bias against the disabled, or if they're racists, or hate Jews and Muslims. As long as they leave that stuff at home and not bring it to work. But the second they step over that line, then the entire blue line disintegrates. Because of the actions of any singular officer. They rise together, and they fall together.

I'll gladly offer a thirsty-looking officer a bottle of water if I see him in the neighborhood on patrol. But if I see that same officer stop someone on the street because he's walking while black, that's when I turn on the video on my smartphone. Police are not a singular infallible entity. They are a collection of individual personalities. When we demand that they be treated as a singular unit deserving of respect that the ENTIRE collection hasn't yet earned, then we justify how any ONE member of them can commit crimes against anyone who isn't one of them.

Humans are flawed creatures. We ALL have our weaknesses. Police are not immune to that, and it's time we stop putting them up on a pedestal. I've worked with the police, I've had to call the police for help in the past, I've been pulled over for speeding by the police, I've been friends with the police, my parents' best friend was a cop and he and his wife and my parents used to go out once a week for dinner. So I have no beef against "the police." My problem is with the individual officers, and the departments that protect them even when they screw up. They are the ones that give "the police" a bad name, they are the ones who need to be held accountable, and they are the ones who need to either be rehabilitated, or removed from the force.

No one is above the law. That includes the police.

I agree who hardly