I support police, BUT there IS a police problem

As I said I would, I contacted many friends on forces.

ALL I spoke with in multiple States (22) ARE required to have (x) amount of hours to maintain their credentials it was between 40 and 120 hours a year depending on the mandate requirements for each state. Furthermore for advancement in a department they had to take training as well for the specific advancement positions, if any required such as First Aid, those were also required to have ongoing credential hours.

I specifically asked all of them if they new of a department without requirement, all responded NO with the caveat there could be one but it would be the exception and probably in violation of a State Requirement.

I asked also if they felt they had adequate training? The answer was Yes.
I asked if they felt more training would be helpful?
The answered were FOR WHAT?
I replied identifying mental illness. I am lucky these were friend I asked because the answer usually started with WTF kinda stupidity is that. They then went on to explain their job was NOT that of a Psychiatrist or Social worker. They all had some training but all replied with this answer in effect <When a person has a weapon or is attacking someone with the very real possibility of injuring them or killing them, our job is to stop it and stop it fast. Once the person is detained we will send them to either Jail or the Hospital based on our observations. But first we have to protect the public and ourselves.

They are Police Officers, they are here to Protect the Public, Enforce the Laws. They are not Social Workers or Psychiatrist and do not have the time to play one when confronted with physical force to them or others. Again all the numbers I have stated previously support the training appears to be working or there would be a lot more dead people. And now as it appears they do and are required to have ongoing training.

So now I have to ask, what more training do you think they need??

@Legatus_Legionis

Correct, it is not 1 week but minimum LET ME REPEAT THAT “A MINIMUM” OF 40 HOURS of updating training/education.

The average Academy time is 6 to 8 months, Then on top of that many departments require at minimum of a bachelors degree in a “Criminal Justice or other skill related to a job Fish and Game for Instance wants Biology”

Sure there could be and probably are departments who do not require the Bachelors degree, but they still require academy training and their states law enforcement training (or) a reciprocal equivalent updated to their state by law or state policy.

The problem is and always will be the Criminal!

Yes there are cops who have a God Complex, I never said there were not, Also said and will believe Qualified Immunity needs to be removed and replaced with something that gives them some degree of protection but also does not put them above any other citizen. While still being able to get the removed from a force, open to lawsuit or even arrested. Currently the SCOTUS ruling on “QI” gives these officers near God Level Protections.

Well, if you have a EGO and add the knowledge you can get away with up to an including Murder, Some will do it. That is the real problem with Police, that knowledge they are immune to consequences, just opens the door to it. When I have had discussion with officers about these 1st and 2nd Amendment auditors the response is typically.

Those officers know the laws and those are the ones that need to be gone, they know the person has the right and if they don’t it goes back on their department for not making officers aware of those rights as these Auditors are NOTHING NEW.

Personally, and I have said this for decades now. Departments should put out people like these “auditors” to actually Inspect officer interactions. Simple no Criminal activity to force an interaction to check how the officer acts would go a long way to weeding out problems.

And this was today, took a few minutes along with many to simply stand by the roadside to say goodbye. Most of us will NEVER have to be worried about being killed at work. These officers face it daily.

@Legatus_Legionis

They have lost that lawsuit before it even hits the steps….. SCOTUS has long settle that, an as it falls under “Art” its is Protect.  I will always support the Police, but first I support the Constitution even against the most distasteful forms of speech and art.