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Officers, community have good relationship
A recent column generated a conversation with a few friends that I thought might be a good topic for discussion. In that column, I mentioned the fact that as a police officer, I patrolled the streets of South Central and Central Los Angeles “by choice.” A couple friends specifically asked why I would work those areas if I could have chosen otherwise.
First, I have to explain something that people either forget, never realized, or have had their opinions tainted by the media. That is this: Most individuals who are drawn to a career in public service (whether it be military, fire fighters, medical professionals or law enforcement) have a real compulsion to serve. It’s truly as simple as that! While there is no denying that some people shouldn’t be in those professions, that sort of person is certainly the exception and not the rule.
During the time I worked those areas, South Los Angeles was primarily a black ghetto and Central Los Angeles was predominantly Hispanic. So why would a police officer who has a choice, choose to work in a ghetto community? The race baiters like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton (those two do more to harm these communities than help!) would have everyone believe that anyone in law enforcement is racist. Speaking for myself (and I can comfortably state that I am speaking for thousands like me), that’s nothing but a lie! I chose to work in those communities for a variety of reasons. First, it was fast paced, exciting and fun. Time flew by and every shift was an adventure. However, more importantly, the people who live in those areas really need and appreciate an effective police presence. I’ll leave it to the intellectuals to explain the social and economic reasons we have ghettos. For my discussion, suffice to say that it’s a very challenging and violent environment for the people who live in them.
South Central and Central Los Angeles has a huge gang/narcotics problem. Consequently, there’s a pretty significant criminal population and all of the violence that goes with that. The bad guys get the lion’s share of the media attention while the good people living in the area are ignored. For example, I can’t count the times I was in a home in South LA and saw a child’s bed made in the bathtub. Often, several children (if they were small enough) shared the same “bed.” The kids who didn’t fit in the tub slept on the floor. The reason? Stray bullets aren’t as likely to hit a child sleeping in a bathtub or on the floor! You might see that scenario depicted in a documentary sometime but typically not on the nightly news. That’s only one small example of what the good people in those areas deal with on a daily basis.
The media and the race baiters want the public to believe that minority communities look at the police as an occupying force. On the contrary, the overall relationship between law enforcement and the community is a strong one. However, in the eyes of the media, that doesn’t make for a good story so that positive relationship typically isn’t reported. Certainly there can be conflict and controversy, but nothing to the extent the media would lead a person to believe. In my opinion, which is based on pretty extensive experience, media coverage of incidents involving minority communities and the police are grossly sensationalized. I’d encourage the reader to pay attention next time a major police incident in a ghetto community is televised (it won’t be long!). I’m quite comfortable stating that the media focus will not be on the good people in the area. They won’t be the ones interviewed. Why? Because those good people are inside their homes or at work or doing any of a hundred other things good people (who don’t have time to riot, loot, or protest) would be doing. The people the media will be focusing on are those opportunists who take any possible opportunity to break the law. A great example of the “squeaky wheel getting the grease.”
I don’t trust the media at all. Ironic, I know, since I’m preparing this little narrative for a newspaper column, but facts are facts! I’ve had several personal experiences with the media and know that they routinely lie or twist facts to support their own narrative. That’s truly a shame because many (if not most) people base their opinions on what they hear in the news. The next time there’s a “controversial” incident in a minority community, take the time to assess the initial information critically and pay attention to the individuals interviewed. Don’t immediately buy into the narrative offered by the media. Later, take the time to learn the final outcome of that incident. Historically, once the facts are in and the truth of what actually occurred is revealed, the actions taken by law enforcement, as ugly and unfortunate as they may be, are justified.
Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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