A lot of cops are fine. Probably the vast majority of them.
We shouldn’t defund them. We need them to protect us from criminals, drunk drivers, coyotes and biting dogs, etc. Furthermore, the work they do — when done properly — is difficult and sometimes hazardous, so we should show them our appreciation.,
But not all cops. There are bad cops, just as there are bad teachers, bad politicians, bad doctors, and even bad priests. Bad doesn’t deserve support.
Well, there are bad cops, too — like this guy (photo above):
“A former St. Louis cop facing a criminal charge in the beating of a Black undercover detective has asked a judge to sanction federal prosecutors for disclosing text messages in which he uses the N-word freely, brags about sending people to the hospital and talks at length with other cops about prescription drug use.”
“Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office had previously released a number of texts sent and received by ex-police officer Dustin Boone and other cops accused of assaulting St. Louis police Det. Luther Hall in 2017 after mistaking him for a protester ….
“Prosecutors say the texts and other information described in their recent filing show Boone was biased against Black people and that he had no problem violating his oath as a cop and the rights of those he encountered on the streets.”
He isn’t a cop anymore, but in retrospect, he never should have been a cop in the first place. Neither should Derek Chauvin. Or lots of other bad cops.
So, when someone says (or demands), “Support your local police!,” you might want to ask, “Which police?” As I said, most of them are fine people who do a great job, but some aren’t, and you probably want to find out who they’re talking about before committing yourself.
Of course, this applies to everything else, too: Teachers, politicians, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc.; there are even priests you wouldn’t trust near your children. You wouldn’t vote for a liar and swindler, would you? (Actually, a lot of people would, and did.)