Page 17 - November Issue 10 24 14_Neat
P. 17
Courtesy of Jimmy Rago, FOP Lodge 105
Society is apathetic toward this type of behavior. That type of mentality
permits the criminal element to operate freely and without fear. In the 1980s
witness intimidation to the point of violence was practically unheard of, today
sadly, it’s a different story.
EIJ: How did something like respect for law enforcement get lost and how do
you get it back?
Det. Rago: Both parties shoulder the blame. Part of the problem is societal in
nature, the saying “it takes a village to raise a child?” We need to get back to
that frame of reference. Today it seems like single parent families are the norm
and quite frequently you have children raising children. That’s a prescription
for failure. This sounds silly, but one of the things that drive me crazy is when
I see a small child who misbehaves in public. Often the person responsible for
the child will bring the child over to the oficer and says “see that cop right
there, if you don’t stop fussing, that cop will take you away”, or “that cop
is going to lock up mommy/daddy and take me away because you are being
bad.” So what message does that send to a child? This is just one example but a
pretty poignant one.
The other side of the coin is the blame that members of the law enforcement
community share their part of the problem. When you agree to put on a badge,
a gun and to uphold the law you need to be beyond reproach. You need to be
open, honest and fair to the community you serve.
17
Society is apathetic toward this type of behavior. That type of mentality
permits the criminal element to operate freely and without fear. In the 1980s
witness intimidation to the point of violence was practically unheard of, today
sadly, it’s a different story.
EIJ: How did something like respect for law enforcement get lost and how do
you get it back?
Det. Rago: Both parties shoulder the blame. Part of the problem is societal in
nature, the saying “it takes a village to raise a child?” We need to get back to
that frame of reference. Today it seems like single parent families are the norm
and quite frequently you have children raising children. That’s a prescription
for failure. This sounds silly, but one of the things that drive me crazy is when
I see a small child who misbehaves in public. Often the person responsible for
the child will bring the child over to the oficer and says “see that cop right
there, if you don’t stop fussing, that cop will take you away”, or “that cop
is going to lock up mommy/daddy and take me away because you are being
bad.” So what message does that send to a child? This is just one example but a
pretty poignant one.
The other side of the coin is the blame that members of the law enforcement
community share their part of the problem. When you agree to put on a badge,
a gun and to uphold the law you need to be beyond reproach. You need to be
open, honest and fair to the community you serve.
17
