by Stacey Foxworthy

Created on: November 03, 2007

As Lord Acton so eloquently put it "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It is unfortunate that lately the incidents of police brutality, misconduct, and abuse have been reportedly on the rise. With the advent of various new types of technologies, documentation of these encounters has become public knowledge. However, the fact remains that the jobs of law enforcement are not without great danger and emotional distress. Although I do respect and am thankful for those who, day in and day out, put their lives on the line for our safety I will not use that as an excuse to tolerate and condone abuse and misconduct by those in positions of power.

We teach our children to do as I say not as I do' but that is a very hypocritical statement. Parents need to set examples for their children to follow and law enforcement officials should do the same. When in a position of authority conducting oneself in a corrupt and abusive fashion only encourages others who witness such behavior to do the same, essentially suggesting the behavior is acceptable. Human beings are social creatures by nature and tend to learn from and influence others with their actions and behavior.

The dramatic expansion of powers granted to police and other law enforcement officials has demonstrated a rise in abusive tactics, corruption, and deceit. The way we accept and allow interrogations to be conducted or the questioning of a suspect and even witnesses under the false pretense that everyone is guilty is appalling. Respectable and moral codes of conduct must be created, maintained, and upheld. Again, it is a situation that involves showing others and leading by example. The job is to protect and serve the public' not to treat each citizen or witnesses as criminals themselves. The practice of guilty until proven innocent' is causing a violent rift in our society.

It is unfortunate that the majority of encounters I have had with law enforcement have been negative. The one experience I do remember that was positive was back when I was a young child and my mother and I had been involved in a car accident. An off duty police officer called the incident in and took the time to disinfect the wounds on my feet that resulted from the shattered glass. He waited with us until help arrived and was kind and compassionate but still conducted himself with an aura of professionalism. I had admired and appreciated him, as a person and as an authority figure.

I cannot say that my encounters since

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