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Thank a Cop

Md. U.S. attorney: Police are overwhelmingly honorable, principled and trustworthy

The Baltimore Sun, May 21, 2016

Law enforcement is indispensable to a civilized society. Unfortunately, we often take for granted the many extraordinary men and women who provide it. National Police Week, which concludes today, is a good time to thank police officers for their invaluable service.

President John F. Kennedy issued the first Police Week proclamation in 1962. He noted that “law enforcement agencies play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms which have been guaranteed by the Constitution to every American citizen.”

Police agencies were less professional then, with fewer policies and procedures. They were not constrained by some of the constitutional protections we now consider fundamental. Criminal defendants had no right to remain silent or obtain counsel in state courts; Miranda warnings were not mandatory; and officers were not required to disclose exculpatory evidence. There was plenty of room for improvement.

Nonetheless, President Kennedy encouraged citizens to honor police officers “who by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities have rendered a dedicated service to their communities and, in so doing, have established for themselves an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens.”

This year, at Maryland's Fallen Heroes Day ceremony, we paid tribute to four officers who recently suffered violent deaths in the line of duty. Each hero died while protecting other people from danger. Patrick Dailey, Mark Logsdon and Jacai Colson were shot after armed men opened fire on police, and Noah Leotta was hit by a drunk driver. Over the decade that I have attended Maryland's annual ceremony, we have never witnessed so many officers killed by criminals.

Police officers never know what dangers the next call will bring. The work can be stressful, demanding and frightening.

The physical challenges are obvious. Officers wrestle suspects who are bigger and stronger. They confront violent people who are angry, drug-addled and mentally ill. They struggle with criminals who conceal guns, knives and other contraband in every conceivable place.

The job comes with emotional challenges as well. Officers pull people out of burning vehicles, hold the hands of dying strangers and interview children about sexual assaults. They deliver death notifications. They pursue armed suspects through dark alleys and narrow hallways.

Policing is also intellectually challenging. Officers need to make instinctive decisions on dangerous streets, interpreting laws that attorneys spend hours debating in peaceful offices.

The life of a police officer is rarely glamorous. They work day shifts and night shifts, on weekends and holidays, in blizzards and rainstorms, during parades and riots. They always need to be at their best, especially when other people are at their worst.

Most officers live modestly. Many work second jobs and commute long distances so they can raise their children in a safe neighborhood where they don't run into suspects at the playground and the grocery store.

As in every vocation, there are some bad officers and flawed procedures. My respect for the police is far from naive. I have supervised more prosecutions of law enforcement officers than anyone in the history of our state. And I have worked with police departments to improve training and implement focused enforcement.

But my belief in the fundamental decency of most police officers is not undermined when I prosecute corrupt officers, identify deficient guidance, and critique imperfect strategies. My confidence is not shaken by exceptions because it is not premised on faith. It is based on a quarter-century of experience with thousands of officers who demonstrate remarkable skill, rectitude and devotion to duty.

In any ranking of professions based on character and integrity, policing is near the top. Select an officer at random, and you will likely find someone who is more honorable, reliable, principled and trustworthy than the average citizen.

Many people fear the police, for understandable reasons. A poem often read at officers' funerals laments, “I know I don't deserve a place, among the people here; they never wanted me around, except to calm their fear.” Police officers do not stop motorists to congratulate them for obeying traffic laws, and nobody calls 911 to report that everything is OK.

But when danger lurks or tragedy strikes, people hope to find a police officer nearby. So when you see officers on the job, let them know that you appreciate their work. If nothing is wrong, tell them. They will be grateful to hear the good news.

Rod J. Rosenstein is the United States attorney for Maryland.

- See more at: http://digitaledition.baltimoresun.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=b181572e-0494-4ed4-a86f-4fd123a48249#sthash.TSbqHMab.lCZ5V5DO.dpuf

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