| Carl in Tampa |
01-14-2014 03:04 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by redwitch
(Post 811573)
We really don't know how much training the shooter had. Being a police officer doesn't necessarily mean you've been trained in criminal justice procedures. Many sheriffs are elected officials. They don't necessarily have any police training to get the job. Working up the ranks to police commander doesn't guarantee a lot of training -- it could be political, it could be nepotism, it could be blind luck.
I know in California officers in one town are required to have a Master's in either criminal justice or education. The next town over requires a high school diploma. The difference in the officers of these two towns is amazing. Something tells me most officers in Florida have the type of training the high school graduates have -- they know how to be bullies; they know how to write tickets; they know how to profile; but they don't really know how to protect and serve. Don't assume that police officers have all that much more training than the average person. It really depends on the area.
The reality is that every human has a trigger that can be pulled if pushed too far. So, if that trigger is pulled, things become physical. If you happen to have a weapon when in that state, it becomes very possible to want to use that weapon and, if you're not entirely sane (none of us are), it becomes possible to use that weapon. I am totally of the theory that it is people that kill, not guns. So, limiting who can have a gun makes sense. Florida is too lax in who can carry, as are most states. To me, there should be a viable reason for being allowed to carry a concealed weapon, not just in case something happens and there MIGHT be a need to protect myself. It should be a very viable reason; evidence should be given that a gun is needed because of a threat of grave physical harm. To issue a concealed weapon to someone just because they have no history of violence and have not committed a felony is not sufficient in my mind.
(BTW -- I carry, so don't push my buttons. ;-))
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Perhaps a little education about the training of law enforcement officers in Florida is in order. It might change your stereotype image, as highlighted above.
1. The shooter was neither an elected Sheriff nor a Deputy Sheriff. He was a retired Captain from the Tampa Police Department. He had been retired for over twenty years.
2. Florida has a very stringent qualification program for certification as a law enforcement officer, administered by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Division of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
In addition, an annual re-qualification in the high hazard elements (especially firearms, pursuit driving and first responder first aid) and in physical fitness is mandatory for maintaining certification. The basic training program for certification as a law enforcement officer lasts just over three months.
3. In the agency where I worked, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (Tampa) you need not bother to apply to become a Deputy Sheriff unless you already have a four year college degree.
If accepted for consideration you are required to go through a state approved police academy to become certified as a law enforcement officer, but this does not guarantee you a job.
Applicants at HCSO must go through an additional training period which is similar to military "boot camp" where your response to highly stressful situations, simulating police job stress, is measured.
Successful applicants then go "on the road" with a Field Training Officer where they are further evaluated for suitability for a career in law enforcement. If successful, they then operate on their own for a further probationary period, and then become full fledged Deputy Sheriffs.
In addition to the Law Enforcement Deputies, the HCSO has certified Detention Deputies who staff the multiple jail facilities and the courts of the county. Their training is similar, with emphasis on a different skill set, to the Law Enforcement Deputies.
The HCSO is one of the largest Sheriff's Offices in the United States.
And, getting back to the original point --- your stereotype of law enforcement officers in Florida. The Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Curriculum is available for review on line at Florida Department of Law Enforcement I don't think you will find being bullies, writing tickets or profiling on the list.
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Getting back to this particular tragic incident, there is another observation to be made. The shooter was 71 years old; the victim was 43. Obviously, tempers flared on both sides.
There is a saying, usually said as a joke, which contains an element of truth:
"Never pick a fight with an old man. He knows that he can't whip you, so he has to shoot you."
Personally, I never express anger at someone who cuts me off in traffic or otherwise offends me in public. To me it isn't worth getting into a confrontation........ even though I think I would prevail. I am an old man.
:police: |
