Recently, I've had some interesting conversations with friends and colleagues about the police. One friend shared personal stories about being racially profiled by cops. Two other friends described what it's like to live in a city that feels "under siege" by police officers; this is all on the heels of a string of incidents in which police officers have shot and killed young black and brown men riding public transit. Unfortunately, it seems that these kinds of incidents are all too common, particularly in cities with large racial-ethnic minority populations.
Like my friends, I am also outraged by police brutality. I've personally experienced and witnessed a number of incidents in which officers seemed to be using racial profiling to make traffic stops/arrests. I've also collected data on numerous episodes of police brutality during my fieldwork in Los Angeles; these range from young black men getting "roughed up" and harassed by officers, to more extreme cases in which young black men are falsely arrested on suspicion of gang ties, only to be dropped off into Mexican gang neighborhoods (in which young black men become targets of hate crimes). This stuff is all terrible and the officers involved in these kinds of incidents deserve to be punished for their actions.
But, stepping back from personal experiences/politics/emotions, I want to make a case for why social scientists and the mass public should adopt a more sympathetic view toward police officers. As part of my new book project, I've begun talking to police officers who respond to shootings across the city. These conversations have been nothing less than eye-opening. I have emerged from these interactions with a new and more sympathetic view of police officers and the challenges of their work. Although I've always known that police work is "tough," "traumatic," and "violent," these were merely abstract concepts and words that I used when thinking/talking about police work. I never fully appreciated what officers routinely see and experience during a shift.
One of my main informants, "Officer Peterson," has shared stories from 20+ years of police work. On one of his first night patrols, he and his partner were the first responders to a drunk driving accident. The car that got hit by the drunk driver had been smashed to a pulp. The driver, passenger, and 4 small children in the backseat were smashed beyond human recognition; their remains were splattered across the concrete.
Officer Peterson has also shared stories of giving dying gunshot victims their last rites. On numerous occasions, he has been with young men in the moments before they die. He remembers incidents in which dying victims cry for their mothers while shitting themselves--something that happens before someone passes away.
And perhaps most enlightening, Office Peterson has shared stories of how officers never really have a "time out" from the stress and trauma of their work. In particular, Officer Peterson shared one story about being at the hospital when a fellow officer was killed. In the middle of trying to process the death of a close friend, a shooting occurred in his district. Still traumatized from seeing a close friend die, he and other officers were called back into the line of duty.
Some critics might argue that this is the name of the game--that police officers signed up for this. I think this is too simplistic of a view. Social scientists and health researchers have known for a long time that exposures to violence have a profound impact on a person's mental health. Police officers are no exception.
All of this has lead me to believe that we should use episodes of profiling and police brutality to take a more critical look at the kinds of mental health services available to police officers and other people who work in stressful and traumatic professions. In recent years, psychologists and social workers have begun to document the alarming rate of PTSD amongst young men and women who are coming home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries in which they face war. I don't know the average length of a person's tour abroad, but I wonder why the same kinds of sympathies aren't extended to officers, who are exposed to death, violence, and other forms of trauma for entire careers that span 20+ years?
In conclusion, I have a much more sympathetic view of police officers these days. I believe that they are saddled with one of the most difficult and also one of the most thankless civil service jobs around. When officers make an arrest that takes a violent predator off the streets, they often risk their lives and go into situations that 99% of the population couldn't stomach. Similarly, when officers prevent other violent crimes from happening, they are "just doing their job."
It seems that we are often quick to focus on the mistakes that officers make on the job. Stories of police brutality, scandals, and other issues of misconduct make for racier headlines. But, what about the everyday work of cops? Where is this stuff in the news?
Like my friends, I am also outraged by police brutality. I've personally experienced and witnessed a number of incidents in which officers seemed to be using racial profiling to make traffic stops/arrests. I've also collected data on numerous episodes of police brutality during my fieldwork in Los Angeles; these range from young black men getting "roughed up" and harassed by officers, to more extreme cases in which young black men are falsely arrested on suspicion of gang ties, only to be dropped off into Mexican gang neighborhoods (in which young black men become targets of hate crimes). This stuff is all terrible and the officers involved in these kinds of incidents deserve to be punished for their actions.
But, stepping back from personal experiences/politics/emotions, I want to make a case for why social scientists and the mass public should adopt a more sympathetic view toward police officers. As part of my new book project, I've begun talking to police officers who respond to shootings across the city. These conversations have been nothing less than eye-opening. I have emerged from these interactions with a new and more sympathetic view of police officers and the challenges of their work. Although I've always known that police work is "tough," "traumatic," and "violent," these were merely abstract concepts and words that I used when thinking/talking about police work. I never fully appreciated what officers routinely see and experience during a shift.
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Officer Peterson has also shared stories of giving dying gunshot victims their last rites. On numerous occasions, he has been with young men in the moments before they die. He remembers incidents in which dying victims cry for their mothers while shitting themselves--something that happens before someone passes away.
And perhaps most enlightening, Office Peterson has shared stories of how officers never really have a "time out" from the stress and trauma of their work. In particular, Officer Peterson shared one story about being at the hospital when a fellow officer was killed. In the middle of trying to process the death of a close friend, a shooting occurred in his district. Still traumatized from seeing a close friend die, he and other officers were called back into the line of duty.
Some critics might argue that this is the name of the game--that police officers signed up for this. I think this is too simplistic of a view. Social scientists and health researchers have known for a long time that exposures to violence have a profound impact on a person's mental health. Police officers are no exception.
All of this has lead me to believe that we should use episodes of profiling and police brutality to take a more critical look at the kinds of mental health services available to police officers and other people who work in stressful and traumatic professions. In recent years, psychologists and social workers have begun to document the alarming rate of PTSD amongst young men and women who are coming home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries in which they face war. I don't know the average length of a person's tour abroad, but I wonder why the same kinds of sympathies aren't extended to officers, who are exposed to death, violence, and other forms of trauma for entire careers that span 20+ years?
In conclusion, I have a much more sympathetic view of police officers these days. I believe that they are saddled with one of the most difficult and also one of the most thankless civil service jobs around. When officers make an arrest that takes a violent predator off the streets, they often risk their lives and go into situations that 99% of the population couldn't stomach. Similarly, when officers prevent other violent crimes from happening, they are "just doing their job."
It seems that we are often quick to focus on the mistakes that officers make on the job. Stories of police brutality, scandals, and other issues of misconduct make for racier headlines. But, what about the everyday work of cops? Where is this stuff in the news?
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