The Mind of a Cop: What They Do, and Why They Do It

Copyright © 2009 by Scott Fielden

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher or author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policies and procedures of any law enforcement agency mentioned within the book.

Cover Photo: Designs by Jackie Fielden

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ISBN: 978-1-4401-8654-7 (sc)

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iUniverse rev. date: 11/17/2009

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

–Edmund Burke

Contents

INTRODUCTION

1   

THE DRAWING POWER OF POLYESTER UNIFORMS

2   

FROM THE TRAINING ACADEMY

TO THE STREETS

3   

WRESTLING WITH

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

4   

SHOULDN’T YOU BE CATCHING REAL CRIMINALS?

5   

FIVE POUNDS OF TRIGGER PULL

6   

THE HEAVY WEIGHT

OF THE THIN SHIELD

7   

POLICING THE POLICE

8   

IT’S ONLY FUNNY

IF YOU UNDERSTAND IT

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

Cops. Just mention the word and some people’s brain cells will start firing like over-heated popcorn as they recall their own encounters with the law. Though some of their memories may be accurate, others can be as close to reality as Dr. Seuss was to being a cardiac surgeon.

For instance, if they’ve had a traffic ticket recently, their grey matter may conjure up images of a bug-eyed ogre ripping off a citation and stuffing it into their palm with all the gentleness of a prostate exam.

Maybe they were stopped for DUI, and recall the officer as a ringmaster who forced them to perform acrobatic maneuvers on the side of the road like a downtrodden circus animal. Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and witness amazing feats of balance while this person stands on one leg, touches their nose and recites the alphabet, all while under the influence of a mind-altering substance…

But if they were saved from a violent assault or pulled from a burning vehicle as smoke clouded their consciousness, their mind may generate images of angels clad in polyester appearing from nowhere, rescuing them moments before they became just another name in an obituary column.

Images can be deceiving. The word cops conveys an image―a mental picture often based on some personal encounter with law enforcement. The reality behind this image, of course, is the living, breathing soul who wears the uniform. Remove all their equipment and they’re human beings, just like everyone else.

Human beings who shoulder more responsibility than most would ever dream of.

It’s not a stretch to say your personal safety, along with the protection of your family and property rests in the hands of these armored strangers. But how comfortable are you in placing this responsibility―this blind trust―in people you don’t know much about? And, in exchange for the safety and protection they offer, are you willing to accept the darker boundaries they must occasionally cross in order to provide it?

If those questions make you squirm a little, maybe it’s time you got acquainted with some of society’s troubleshooters. Beyond the generic title of officer, these people have names. They have lives. They’d also like to reveal some things to you about law enforcement…if you’ll keep an open mind.

It’s challenging to describe what it’s like to be a cop to someone outside of law enforcement, just as it would be for a new mother to describe the childbirth process to someone who hasn’t passed a seven-pound human through their body. But if an explanation isn’t at least attempted, can anyone really appreciate what goes on in the delivery room, or out on the streets during patrol?

While this book contains a variety of war stories from police officers, you’ll also be exposed to the facts behind these stories, which are often left out of police-reality television shows. The adrenaline rush that comes with a high-speed pursuit or raiding a crack house certainly makes good viewing, and for those in police work, the effects can be intoxicating. But what the edited segments of excitement on television don’t reveal is the tremendous toll policing takes on some officers―the high divorce rates, depression, reduced life expectancy and stress-related health problems. As such, sometimes it’s their own quest for survival, as much as it is the law, which influences a cop’s actions and attitudes when dealing with the public.

Compiled from interviews with patrol officers, investigators and counselors, this book provides a realistic look at the complex world of those who protect and serve. Its goal is to provide a more complete understanding of what life behind the badge is really like…an informative, yet entertaining look at the total package.

Because the material presented within is only a sampling of the hundreds of thousands of sworn officers across the nation, there will always be those whose feedback would fall outside the consensus of the thoughts expressed within the chapters. But if you grouped a hundred officers together and asked for their responses to the issues posed throughout the book, more often than not, a significant majority would respond in a fashion similar to what has been written.

It’s been said that every cop has their own personal reasons for putting on the badge. I was reminded of this one summer afternoon as I walked across a parking lot in uniform. A little girl, about four-years-old, separated herself from her mother’s grasp and trotted towards me. Without saying a word, she tightly wrapped her small arms around my leg. She likes hugging police officers, her mother explained. That simple act of kindness left me speechless. It also reminded me what I was doing represented a righteous cause, though it was often imperfect work performed by a flawed person.

I’d like to thank Heath Dingwell, Ph.D., a fellow writer and professor of criminal justice, for his invaluable insight and assistance in providing interview material for this book. I’d also like to extend my appreciation to all the officers who agreed to be interviewed during our compilation efforts, for this project would not have been possible without their candid feedback. Some were comfortable in allowing the publication of their names; others chose to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of their comments. Each of these officers has our utmost respect for the jobs they do, and for the personal risks they encounter every time they roll onto a scene to answer a call.

Finally, what you are about to read may or may not contradict your opinions regarding those who wear a badge for a living. I hope perhaps it will do a little of both, for we live in a world full of contradictions. Just take a look at rapper-turned-actor, Tracy Marrow, a.k.a. Ice T. In 1992, he was the lyricist with a band that released Cop Killer, an obscenity-laced song which promoted the killing of police officers.

Today, he plays a cop on a successful television series.

If that makes sense, then maybe our world isn’t such a confusing place after all.

1   

THE DRAWING POWER OF POLYESTER UNIFORMS

When you tell someone you’re a cop, you get one of two reactions. They think it’s the greatest thing in the world, or they’re standoffish from you.

When someone is diagnosed with a case of protectiveservitis (medical translation: an inflammation causing the protect and serve areas of the brain to swell), they’ll often turn to the classified ads in search of law enforcement employment opportunities. If the newspaper they’re thumbing through incorporates a full-disclosure policy, a hypothetical advertisement may read:

HELP WANTED: Law enforcement agency is seeking individuals willing to work for relatively low wages while assisting those who harbor an attitude of indifference, even outright hostility. Must be able to tolerate working in a dangerous environment and witnessing horrific events. Potential loss of life, limbs and/or personal property must be considered. Applicants must be self-motivated and able to accept the frustrations of fighting a war they’ll never win. Retirement benefits may not be available since the average lifespan of our employees is significantly less than that of the general public. Nights, weekends and holiday shifts required. If you desire to risk it all for people who wouldn’t invite you to a cookout even if you supplied the steaks, have we got a career for you! Now interviewing.

Given this job description, one question should come to mind: why would anyone who’s not heavily medicated consider wearing a badge and gun for a living?

It sure isn’t for the people they’ll be dealing with―the addicts, thieves, molesters, murderers and other souls disconnected from humanity. In all likelihood, it’s not for the opportunity to view the blood spilled at a traffic crash or to see the remains of someone’s head after a close-range shotgun blast. It probably isn’t for the chance to assume the combined roles of marriage counselor, social worker, psychologist, lawyer and nurse. People study for years to get certified in just one of these fields and get paid quite a bit more than the cop working several off-duty jobs to make ends meet.

And it’s definitely not for all the times they’ll walk into a business and some clown, trying to be funny, throws up their hands and yells, Hey, I didn’t do it, officer!

I know it sounds corny, but―

If you ask a hundred cops why they got into law enforcement, a surprising number of them will begin their response with those exact words. The rest of the sentence often goes I wanted to help others or it was an opportunity to make a difference with my life and even I wanted to make things inconvenient for the bad guys.

Whatever the motive, if your back door is being kicked in by a meth-head who’s willing to steal and maim for their next high, you won’t think any reason a cop joined the force is corny. The only thing important to you will be how quick an officer can get there.

When someone begins a career in law enforcement, they step into a world far different from the one everyone else lives in. On the surface, their jobs capture the interest and imagination like no other, which explains why numerous police reality shows proliferate television. In fact, one of the longest-running programs in history is COPS, which has entertained the masses for over 20 years. How many other professions have had a camera crew filming their every move for primetime broadcast throughout two decades?

Being a cop means you’ll experience the events others read about in the newspapers, see on the evening news or discuss between rounds at their favorite watering hole. It means you’ll have the opportunity to permanently impact the lives of people you meet on a daily basis, often with the ability to choose whether that impact is positive or negative. And for the adrenaline junkies, being a cop is like having a free pass to Disneyland…you can ride all the attractions as many times as you like, without having to wait in line.

But it also means the welcome mat isn’t rolled out by everyone you come in contact with.

Everybody likes the firefighter, the rescue squad people because they all do good things when they come. But when law enforcement shows up, somebody may be going to jail, or at the very least, someone is probably going to be angry.

Lt. Randy Bowers, Carter County TN Sheriff’s Dept.

No one calls us to anniversaries, birthdays or to parties because they want to see us. They call us because it’s gone bad. You’re never called for the good things; you’re always called for the crappy ones. The person who does want you there only does so because they can’t control the situation anymore.

Anonymous

As kids, most of us acted out our fantasies of being a superhero. It really didn’t matter if we had a cape and mask, or even what superhuman strengths we gave ourselves. The important thing was we had the power to protect the innocent―the little guy― while bravely putting a dent in crime. Truth be known, somewhere in the deep recesses of the consciousness, fragments of those childhood superhero desires still exist within many adults. This may be why some of the most popular movies over the past few years have been about superhuman characters (with very human flaws), who wear attention-grabbing attire while fighting crime and protecting civilization from evil.

Substitute mortal abilities in place of superhuman powers and what have you got? A street cop.

If you rub elbows with enough officers, a couple of things will quickly become apparent. For instance, they don’t possess any phenomenal powers, like the ability to hear a cockroach sneeze at forty yards. Also, they didn’t join the force to someday have a highway named after them, their likeness molded into a bobble-head doll, or for people to sit around a campfire singing songs of admiration about their deeds. And they’re not magicians―they can’t snap their fingers and turn a high-crime area into Mr. Roger’s neighborhood, no matter what training and tools you give them.

What they tend to be, however, are everyday folks from all walks of life who viewed police work as both an interesting and secure job, and who desired an opportunity to add value to their own lives by doing something for society.

"I think the public has a misconception about the police. Anybody who has ever had any long-term contact with us, like the chaplains, they had a perception of what the police were like. They were nervous to come to work here. It was like, ‘I see all the stuff on television and wonder if they’re really like that. I’m finding out―geez ―they’re real people. Everyday people. It’s like going to my accountant. They’re as nice as the people sitting there and you can talk with them about things.’

People somehow seem to think that the police―I don’t know if they think we hire them from Mars―are so different from everyone else. They’re not. I’m concerned about what I read in the paper about what’s going on around the world and the environment. I’ve got bills to pay and cars to fix and have to feed my family. I’ve got exactly the same fears and concerns they have. We’re really no different. For some reason this uniform makes it look like we’re from a different species."

Lt. Karl Fisher, Eau Claire WI Police Dept.

Trying to understand all the motivations behind someone’s decision to enter law enforcement can be as difficult as comprehending all those miscellaneous charges on your phone bill. Still, there’s a common thread linking most responses, and it relates back to the familiar words stenciled across police vehicles everywhere―to protect and to serve.

According to a 2003 internet survey by POLICE magazine, 54% of the respondents stated that providing help to people was their primary motive for pursuing a career in law enforcement. Another 23% cited putting the bad guys away as their reason, followed by 15% who replied that enforcing the law is what lured them into the profession. The remaining 8% joined in order to pay their bills.

When considering some of the explanations from officers regarding their career choice, it doesn’t take a seasoned detective to notice a familiar pattern emerges. Despite different personalities, gender, education and ethnicity, much of their feedback ultimately centers on similar thoughts.

I decided on law enforcement because it’s a noble profession, where you actually do something about the evils in our society instead of talking about it and relying on others. The entertainment value is fairly high and I didn’t think I’d get as much satisfaction making other people money in the business world.

Sgt. Aaron Davis, Albany OR Police Dept.

I became a cop for probably the same reason 90% of the people get into it; I wanted to help others. As time goes on, officers may become more cynical about that, but the initial reason most get into it is to help people. Every now and then things come up and that gets a little clouded, so you have to turn around and get refocused. You try not to lose sight of the main goal, and the ultimate goal is helping people.

Anonymous

"I was working as a food broker and wasn’t really happy doing that. I was making good