A Police Officer Responds

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders takes a knee at a recent rally

I served six pastoral charges in the United Church of Canada during 37 years of congregational ministry in three provinces and I had police officers from municipal, provincial, and national forces in my congregations along the way. They were people of faith who contributed to the life of these Christian communities in a variety of ways, including attending worship. 

In addition I interacted with police officers in a number of situations over the years, in circumstances from mental health interventions to helping to address aggression at community meals (a rarity). Within days of beginning ministry in outport Newfoundland  I was called by a family in the dark of night  to the scene of a suicide of a teenager.Because I was close at hand I was the one who met the RCMP when they arrived at the home. 

My involvement with police within congregations and in these other circumstances has been almost always positive and I do believe that there is a place for policing in our society as a presence for law and order and for good. We have seen the ugly side of policing in the United States as a paramilitary force in recent days but that has not been the case at rallies here in Canada.

We do need change in policing when it comes to race and mental health and other areas. As we sort out what we expect from police forces and individual cops in these troubling times I've blogged some of my thoughts. A former parishioner, Roger, offered his perspective by way of a comment  as someone who is still involved in policing. I know that in earlier years he was a community officer in Northern communities where developing relationships of trust with residents was important. In case you missed his comments I'm posting them today: 

Just to chime in....I am the first to jump all over bad cops. Believe me, good cops absolutely abhor the actions of those monsters from Minneapolis, as well as the thugs from Buffalo PD. Those idiots make it so much more difficult for the good cops - who are in the vast majority - to do their job.

I look back at my career, and I'm proud to say that I have worked with kind, empathetic officers throughout my postings. Conversely, I've also had to force myself to get out of bed at a couple of postings because there was a moron or two on my watch. If I could have thrown them out of the Force, I would have gladly done so. I would often cringe thinking how their actions in my community would make the rest of us appear.

It may appear that police are always ready to be aggressive and pushy, but I recall being part of a security force at a major political event in which leaders from around the world were gathering. I was right on the line, face to face with the protesters. They were yelling at me and calling me names, which was no big deal. But there were hundreds of them trying to surge forward. It got tense, but there were no physical altercations and aside from some minor vandalism, it went well.

I mention this because it was one of the proudest moments of my career. People exercising their right to protest - which I and most police strongly agree with - while police showed restraint. But things can change quickly and you need to be ready. That may be why BPD have such a strong contingent of tac officers.

Yes, they can look intimidating, but I'm pretty sure the families of those cops would like them wearing their protective gear so they can come home in one piece.
But I am sick and tired of hearing every day about yet another example of police brutality. It is completely unacceptable, and these jerks should never have been given a badge. And I point the finger at management of these police services, who ignored the warning signs of having bad cops in their force. When someone has numerous complaints against him/her for excessive force, there's a problem!

Thanks for responding Roger. I always appreciate the perspectives of readers.