I'm (sometimes) a grouchy old(er) white guy and there are many things that are making me grouchy these days. First, the DA and police chief are making grouchy old(er) white guys look bad, like fools and racists. I don't want to be associated with such a view of life. It also makes me grouchy right now is that the cops in Ferguson and St. Louis County don't live there. It's no surprise that the departments treat Ferguson as occupied territories and treat the taxpayers who pay their salaries as vermin. It's time to require every cop to live in the city or county they police.
Yes, this is partially about race, but it is mostly about alienation. Cops who live in the cities they protect and serve are part of those cities 24-7. Policing is not just a job for them, but a commitment to their cities.
In IT development companies, there is an expression "eat your own dog food." It means that you have to rely on your own company's work, trust what is done by the people who work with you. That is what needs to be done in cities everywhere. Make the cops rely on each other, not only when policing, but for daily living. A police department that does not have resident cops who are willing to rely on their fellow-officers to protect and serve is a police department that is a waste of taxpayer money.
Read More