Page 20 - November Issue 10 24 14_Neat
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Lastly, the punishment must be severe. The penalty for your action has to
be harsh enough so that it makes you stop and think and ask yourself the
question; is it worth it? What will I lose as a result of being punished for my
behavior? Is the short term beneit to me of my action worth going through the
ordeal of being punished if I get caught? It’s all about risk versus reward.
EIJ: “Why law enforcement?
Det. Rago: All of the astronaut and Indian chief jobs were taken. (He
chuckles). For the same reasons as everyone who does this job. I believe the
overwhelming majority of people who choose a career in law enforcement do
so because they want to protect and serve. This may sound corny or delusional
but I truly believe those who make this their chosen profession are dedicated
men and women who sacriice in the name of the greater good. They work
crazy shifts in all kinds of weather. They run toward the cries for help and
toward the sound of gunshots, not away from it. They risk their lives so that
others may live securely. I think they are truly brave and caring people. Listen
I am not naïve. I know there is a segment in the law enforcement community
who has lost that zeal, that motivation to push forward and do the right
thing. There are those who have succumbed to the temptations and tarnished
themselves and their badge. I believe that they were good and went bad. I don’t
think anyone comes on this job with the intent of seeing how much can I steal,
how much can I abuse the authority I have, how much can I get away with.
EIJ: What do you think causes ‘the good cop to go bad’ and can you prevent
it?
Det. Rago: I believe that a large majority of the time we succumb to the
temptation that surrounds us, fast money, people with loose morals. We see the
worse in people on a daily basis. We interact with people who take what they
want, not what they have worked for. We deal with people who hurt people
and then, in most cases, show no remorse until they are caught. We have a
profession where by deinition we spend a large majority of our time coming
in contact with people who commit crimes and then for the most part get away
with it completely or may be temporarily inconvenienced by our legal system.
EIJ: “I understand that you are the current President of FOP Lodge 105, tell
me sir, what were some of the obstacles that you had to overcome in order to
erect FOP Lodge105?
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be harsh enough so that it makes you stop and think and ask yourself the
question; is it worth it? What will I lose as a result of being punished for my
behavior? Is the short term beneit to me of my action worth going through the
ordeal of being punished if I get caught? It’s all about risk versus reward.
EIJ: “Why law enforcement?
Det. Rago: All of the astronaut and Indian chief jobs were taken. (He
chuckles). For the same reasons as everyone who does this job. I believe the
overwhelming majority of people who choose a career in law enforcement do
so because they want to protect and serve. This may sound corny or delusional
but I truly believe those who make this their chosen profession are dedicated
men and women who sacriice in the name of the greater good. They work
crazy shifts in all kinds of weather. They run toward the cries for help and
toward the sound of gunshots, not away from it. They risk their lives so that
others may live securely. I think they are truly brave and caring people. Listen
I am not naïve. I know there is a segment in the law enforcement community
who has lost that zeal, that motivation to push forward and do the right
thing. There are those who have succumbed to the temptations and tarnished
themselves and their badge. I believe that they were good and went bad. I don’t
think anyone comes on this job with the intent of seeing how much can I steal,
how much can I abuse the authority I have, how much can I get away with.
EIJ: What do you think causes ‘the good cop to go bad’ and can you prevent
it?
Det. Rago: I believe that a large majority of the time we succumb to the
temptation that surrounds us, fast money, people with loose morals. We see the
worse in people on a daily basis. We interact with people who take what they
want, not what they have worked for. We deal with people who hurt people
and then, in most cases, show no remorse until they are caught. We have a
profession where by deinition we spend a large majority of our time coming
in contact with people who commit crimes and then for the most part get away
with it completely or may be temporarily inconvenienced by our legal system.
EIJ: “I understand that you are the current President of FOP Lodge 105, tell
me sir, what were some of the obstacles that you had to overcome in order to
erect FOP Lodge105?
20
