Police reform

Shannon Bohrer

(4/2021) Last year, we saw the news reports and the film about George Floyd's death, it shocked the country. We understood that bigotry exists in many police departments, but a death that appeared intentional and included torture challenged our national consciousness. This crime started nationwide discussions and demonstrations for police reform. Conversely, we also heard from many police supporters that ‘Blue Lives Matter.’ Often, both sides' voices would lead one to believe that – you should choose as if choosing one side was your only choice. The real choice is to support justice for all. The idea is simple; if everyone is not treated equitably, then reform is needed.

The words ‘police reform’ often have a negative connotation, as if every officer requires some change. The fact is that while we have officers that violate our rights, specifically minority rights, we also have officers that uphold the constitution while ensuring our rights and our safety. With over 900,000 police officers, it should not surprise anyone that some are not up to the job.

Police are generally good people, interested in public service and public safety, but they also have problems like other professions. In 2015, a former Philadelphia police officer testified that his former colleagues lied on police reports and lied in court. The lies were to cover the drug money they stole and the evidence they planted. The former officer was sworn for almost 24 years before being arrested. He admitted stealing while still in uniform and even padding overtime. He said the illicit drug money was added "gravy." Over 160 former convictions related to the involved officers were overturned.

On August 27, Mr. Ronnie Long was released from a state prison in South Carolina. Mr. Long was incarcerated for 44 years after being convicted of rape and burglary in 1976. After Judge Stephanie Thacker wrote that "a trickle of post-trial disclosures has unearthed a troubling and striking pattern of deliberate police suppression of material evidence," she vacated his conviction. The Judge was referring to evidence that was collected at the crime scene which included, 40 fingerprints, a rape kit, and hair. NONE of which matched Mr. Long.

In 2014, Roger logan was released from prison in New York. Mr. Logan was incarcerated for 17 years after being found guilty of murder. The District Attorney Kenneth Thompson asked the Judge to release Roger Logan based on new evidence. The Judge agreed and dismissed the case from the 1997 fatal shooting. The only witness that testified against Mr. Logan; was herself incarcerated when the crime occurred. It was reported that the witness had been coached by a New York City Police Detective.

Roger Logan was the seventh defendant released that year after reexamination of old cases. "Most of them stem from concerns about the investigative tactics of now-retired police detective Louis Scarcella." It was reported in July 2018 that fourteen people had their convictions reversed in cases re-examined involving the retired detective. These were all murder cases.

The examples with the above cases are not uncommon. A study funded by the National Institute of Justice, and conducted by Bowling Green State University, found that police officers are arrested about 1,000 times each year. The study found that 5,545 officers were arrested between 2005 and 2011. Over 40 percent of the arrest were for crimes committed while on duty. The research was reported in national news outlets in 2016. One could argue that 1000 arrests for over 900,000 officers are a low number. Conversely, the study also concluded that many officers accused of minor crimes are not charged.

The reality is that police are humans; they make mistakes, and sometimes they commit crimes. You would be hard-pressed, with over 900,000 officers not to find problems, including criminal behavior. When we examine other professions, we see issues. There have been firefighters that have been guilty of setting fires. We know that there are poor teachers and untrustworthy accountants. We know that clergy members have been charged with child abuse, but that does not reflect every minister or priest. There are dishonest plumbers, electricians, and home repair companies. We all understand this, which is why we "check-out" persons and companies before we hire them. I worked with an attorney who jokingly told me that half of all attorneys give the rest of them a bad name.

Bigotry, racism, and dishonesty exist in corporate boardrooms and every level in society, including police departments. So, why would we think that police are immune from making errors or mistreating people? While there are many examples of police being dishonest and displaying overt bigotry, most police officers are good people, interested in public service and public safety.

As a retired officer, I hear a lot about supporting and standing with the police. I do; I support the police that show up and enforces the laws equitably. I support the officers that believe in the oath they took and do not lie. I do not support officers that kneel on someone's neck for almost nine minutes, nearly three of which when the person had no pulse. I also support the Black Lives Matter movement. If black lives do not matter, then all lives do not matter. I also support peaceful protests; however, I do not support looting and rioting. Supporting justice for everyone is an easy choice.

On January 6, an attempted insurrection occurred at our National Capital. During the insurrection, a retired police officer assaulted an officer defending the capital. There were also reports of off-duty officers - being part of the insurrection. At the same time, the U.S. National Capital Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department, fought for over two hours to defend our capital. In protecting the capital, these officers may have saved our democracy.

When it becomes apparent that we are not all treated equally and we witness outrageous and even criminal behavior by some officers, we should be angry and enraged. The police are part of our government, our government that is supposed to be working for us, all of us.