by Stanley W. Shura

Created on: November 30, 2007

Police officers are trained professionals whose duty it is to "protect and serve" the public. There is a heirarchy of command and a system of accountability which includes public scrutiny unmatched by most other professions.

What an awesome position of respect. And what an awesome responsibility. Not everyone is cut out to do the job that these public servants are called upon to perform each and every workday. Not everyone could handle the temptations nor meet the high standards of integrity and duty that we the masses have been led to believe is the practice.

I believe that those special people who accept the call and put on a badge do so with earnestness and a desire to help their community. As any statistician will tell you, however, there is bound to occur the occasional outlier or few, those whose behavior does not meet the standard that the public expects and that they have sworn to honor.

And as that same statistician, as well as any seasoned police officer will tell you, there are bound to be human errors committed by well meaning officers. The veteran cop will also tell you that the systems in place and the trainiing that occurs are designed to foster and maintain a force that is comprised of people of the highest caliber, and one that is able and willing to monitor itself and take responsibility for its effects on society.

It is their sworn duty to uphold the laws of the land and to ensure a safe and orderly community. Again - it's to protect and to serve. Any person is allowed to make a mistake. And frankly, I am endlessly grateful for those mistakes of action taken on the part of a police officer which were done using a bolt from a tazer, instead of a bullet from a gun.

No one would be debating the lawfulness or outrageousness of an unarmed citizen being shot. Such an incident would result in outcry and fallout from the very top to the very bottom - and way beyond the locale in which said incident took place. There would be reverberations for weeks and months, and you can be sure that some or many would reach D.C.

My point is that the response and call for action and remediation would be intense, swift, and unyielding until results were had. IA (internal affairs), and all kinds of psych personnel would have circled in on the officer who had made a mistake with his handgun. It WOULD be found out why it occured and if the officer is culpable, and fit to continue to serve - or even keep his freedom.

I do not wish harm or stress to anyone who has decided

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