Page 15 - November 2015

Thoughts on ‘Fetal Officers,’ De-Policing and second-guessing
LODGE 7 LEGAL CORNER
DANIEL HERBERT
Everyday there is another headline, article or con- versation about the current state of law enforcement and crime rates. Law enforcement offi- cers are routinely accused of de-policing, second- guessing themselves or, lately, of even being “fetal.”
Detractors of law enforcement cannot seem to criticize officers enough in the current cli- mate. Conspicuously absent from these crit- ics are any attacks directed at the criminals themselves or anyone else besides the police.
Having served as a Chicago Police Officer, I can unequivocally state that Chicago Police Officers aren’t afraid of just about any- thing, and they certainly aren’t afraid of fighting crime. In fact, the only time a Chicago Police Officer ever assumed a fetal posi- tion was justifiably in utero. What Chicago Police Officers and
law enforcement officers are afraid of is the utter lack of understanding and support they are experiencing from elected officials, the media and the communities they are serving. The police is the punching bag and unfortunately the boxer in this scenario never seems to tire or get winded. It is entirely unwarranted criticism and it is under- standably disheartening for all the brave men and women who
serve and protect.
The canard goes something like this: If officers were more
proactive, then so much crime wouldn’t occur. Let’s take a look at what it means to be “proactive.”
Merriam-Webster defines proactive as, “acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.” At face value then, it sounds like officers need to be mind-readers or possess a crystal ball to be truly proactive. Officer presence and routine patrol can have a deterrent effect, but to the average beat officer most crime
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
The legislature gets a convenient pass; after all the elected officials continue to pass more laws every ses-
sion and are “tough on crime.” The judiciary gets a pass as well because its hands are tied by sentencing guidelines and the rule of law. Lastly, the community gets an even bigger pass. Citizens cannot have any responsibility for what occurs in their commu- nity because the government is supposed to provide for their safety. Essentially, then, crime occurs and continues to occur because the police does not do a good enough job, or like what has been parroted ad nauseam recently, police officers aren’t doing their job at all.
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ NOVEMBER 2015 15