The Internal Affairs Unit

“Behind the Badge”                The Internal  Affairs Unit

By Joseph Pangaro

 

One of the most misunderstood functions of a police department is the Internal Affairs Section, also known as the “IA” unit.

For our cops, the men and women who inhabit these units have been derided for years as “Rats” and members of the “Rat squad”. This all comes to us from television and movie portrayals of these specialized investigators. They are usually seen as pencil neck types out to destroy hard working cops who are just fighting crime. This persona has caught on in the mind of the cops and of society in general, but it is far from the truth.

The other side of an Internal Affairs Section is the public perception that they are in place only to white wash any investigation of wrongdoing by a police officer and formalize the “Cover up”. In both cases those templates are wrong, especially in this modern era of policing.

Now, I don’t like to do this but I will for arguments sake; of course we have to acknowledge that there have been instances where IA investigators have gone after an innocent officer and ruined their lives, and there have been IA investigators who have shut down investigations of police officers to protect the cops. To deny this would be inaccurate, so I hope that forestalls those who would point to the example they know of personally and want to make a case that “Every” IA Section behaves this way or that. There are bad apples everywhere.

I am talking about the modern, sunshine lit, Internal Affairs Unit that strives to ensure that our cops are doing their business in the most appropriate, fair and just way possible and that people who lie about police officers are held to account. Fair is fair.

 

For a police agency to function properly there has to be some basic truths in play. We can identify those truths as: Integrity, Honesty, and Transparency. Without these three horseman as a foundation there will be no public support for police action and a state of distrust will grow between the police and the public we have all sworn to serve. 

I know as a street cop I always believed in what I was doing, the greater good kind of thing. I was on the lookout for bad guys and girls and I didn’t care about their race, creed, religion or who they happen to love. I cared about what they did.  With that mindset I went after them everyday. I think this is what most cops do. Ours is a noble profession, we don’t have many gray areas, we don’t dwell in the shadows, we believe in right and wrong and we aim for justice.

Unfortunately, the public doesn’t always see us that way. They paint us with a very broad brush. If a law enforcement person anywhere does something illegal or inappropriate we all get smeared.

The vast majority of law enforcement personnel will never do anything purposefully wrong or illegal, but as any cop anywhere can tell you that isn’t always the first thing people think about.

This is the point that a well trained and experienced group of investigators in an IA unit can make a difference to the cops and the community.

To make this type of a unit serve the needs of the agency, the members of the agency and the public it has to have a few things:

1-    Support of the administration and the freedom to act independently of political considerations.

2-    Trust in the investigators by the rank and file that they are there to get to the truth ad not serve as a demolition squad for the chief, the mayor or any other supervisor.

3-    The officers themselves have to be dedicated to the principals found in the oath they took when they pinned on the badge and they must demand their brother and sister officers adhere to those principals as well.

4-    Training on ethics as a way of life, not only as a required block of in-service noise, and vivid examples of respected officers that do things properly. This starts at the top. The person in charge must lead by example and cannot be a vindictive or unscrupulous leader who demands perfection from everyone below them but does not live it themselves. This is poison and we all have seen examples of it.

5-    Openness to the concept that we are public servants and the people we police have a right to demand we act properly at all times, even if the public at large does not. We are expected to function at a higher standard.

6-    Demand that justice is a two way street.  If an officer is investigated for alleged wrong doing and is found to have acted improperly they should receive the appropriate penalty. BUT… if the citizen that made the complaint is found to have lied about the officer then that citizen should be held to account for their actions. We do this by ensuring that a citizen who has knowingly and purposefully lied about a police officer get arrested and charged with making a false police report and that arrest is published in the weekly police blotter. If we do not do this then the police officers have every reason to resist the efforts of an IA unit investigation for fear of not being treated fairly. What’s right is right.

7-    We must also acknowledge the difference between an honest mistake and a purposeful act.  If an officer had their head and heart in the right place, but things went wrong the administration must recognize this and not seek to “Criminalize” these actions. If our officers have to do their jobs always worrying that a mistake can cost them professionally or financially they will not be able to perform at the level we want.   

 

If we employ these basic steps in the process, and keep personal motivations out of the IA unit it will go a long way to creating a successful and appropriate process that everyone can believe in.

This leads me to the next point: Why is the internal affairs function so important?

If we accept my premise that a properly conceived and run IA unit should see each incident based on facts and the officers on the job understand and accept their roles as public servants and conduct themselves as professionals, then the work of the IA unit is be the arbiter of fairness, plain and simple.

A citizen makes a complaint and that complaint is taken seriously. If there is merit to the complaint, that fact is documented and the appropriate response takes place; be that training, or more serious punishment. If the act did not constitute improper police action and the citizen reported it accurately and not maliciously, then the officer should be publicly cleared and the citizen advised why that determination was made.

This type of a clear process sets limits and adds guidance to our interactions with people. Many times police work requires our cops to take aggressive action that some people may find offensive or unnecessary, even though we know it is often necessary to our mission. This includes officer safety, public safety or addressing specific criminal actions. It is the responsibility of every police administration to have a dialogue with the people of their community so they understand why the police do what they do. The world is not an Us versus Them. We, the police, have a well defined and necessary purpose. If we are to successfully serve and protect then the public has to understand this and let us do our jobs. If they society decides that safety from crime and other negative behaviors are acceptable they will have to change the way the system works. We are simply doing what they demanded of us.

The IA Unit serves these needs when it functions as it was conceived. It should provide the good cops with back up as they do their work and for the cops that choose to take another path, they will find the IA unit at odds with them, as all good cops should be. We don’t need people in our profession that don’t respect the power and position they have been entrusted with and ensure that power is wielded in the service of justice and fairness for everyone.                                  

 

 

We all want our police officers to do their job to protect and serve our communities. We want them to take the risks we don’t want to take: chasing robbers and drug dealers and other dangerous criminals that are apt to hurt you if you confront them. We also want them to respect our rights and be polite, helpful and courteous. We don’t want them to treat us like criminals for running a red light, or not wearing a seat belt or the worst of all, asking a question. These are among the hundreds of tasks we have given our police forces and most agencies prove to be total professionals, others not so much.

This is where Internal Affairs Investigators come in.

Should you encounter a police officer on a traffic post and you commit a violation, even a little one, don’t get mad at the cop for giving you a ticket: you did the violation. The officer has a couple of options; he can give you a warning or he can give you the ticket. Either way what he / or she must do is behave like a professional.

Issuing traffic summons is not a function of police work that most officers love, contrary to what many people believe. Most officers find issuing traffic summons to be almost as irritating as we find in getting them, but it is a part of the job. A job society has demanded the officers do.  How many times have we heard someone say “This idiot cut me off I’d like to see him get a ticket for that”. While our cops do have discretion they are also responsible for maintaining safe driving conditions by conducting traffic stops and giving out tickets for violations, even little ones.

Now if during your encounter with a cop for rolling through a stop sign two blocks from your house the officer uses profanity, or acts rudely, or lectures to you, speaks down to you or uses inappropriate words that make you uncomfortable or offend you- you would be justifiably upset and the cop would be wrong.  So you call your local police and make a complaint. That complaint is taken very seriously in 2013.

Police administrators and supervisors do not want their officers behaving improperly or treating people rudely or unfairly. What happens in most agencies is that the complaint is taken by someone in the police station, and anyone in a police station can take a report like this. The complaint is forwarded to the IA unit and an investigator is assigned.

That investigator then gathers the facts, reviews the in-car video tape (If the car has it), interviews the officer and victim as well as any witnesses, and then writes a report summarizing what they found.

That report ends up with the chief at some point and he/ she will have to decide what to do about it. In most cases, if it is a single complaint about an officer’s demeanor and the officer doesn’t have a history of this type of behavior, the officer might find the incident is documented and he/ she is advised how to behave better in the future and reminded that the public is owed respect at all times.

You, as the complainant will most likely get a letter saying your complaint was investigated and was sustained, meaning it was found to be true. You may expect a letter of apology from the cop, or a phone call or some other acknowledgement. Unfortunately that is not usually what happens for many reasons. Usually your satisfaction will be in knowing your complaint was found to be meritorious and the officer was made aware of the improper behavior and advised not to repeat it.

This response may upset you, especially if you want a pound of flesh for the transgression. Understandable, but…. Let’s look at the offense in a bigger light. Maybe the officer had a bad day, maybe he/ she had a problem at home, maybe he/ she didn’t feel well, whatever. These are not excuses they are reasons. That doesn’t make the officers behavior right, but put into perspective it really is not the end of the world. We don’t fire cops or give them days off without pay for being a jerk on a given day. After all haven’t we all had a day when we were off a bit? Maybe not our best selves, yelled at a check out girl or flipped a bird in traffic? Of course we have, were all human.

The problem comes when the officer that was rude to you has also been rude to four other people and they have made complaints about the officer. Now the IA report will reflect a pattern of behavior that no one in law enforcement wants to defend nor should we. We can all understand a bad day, but if you repeatedly have “Bad Days” and people complain about you all the time, something needs to be done.

The IA investigators report may reflect that this fourth incident was just another “Rude” comment, but it’s the fourth rude comment in three months. The police administration will want to take some action to correct the problem for several reasons; first the officer should not be rude to anyone, second if the officer has a bigger problem it has to be corrected for his own good and the good of the public.

I can tell you from personal experience as an investigator that several officers’ jobs were saved due to the work of the IA unit and the administration’s efforts to help the officers change their inappropriate behavior and return to being a valued member of the agency. If it wasn’t for the IA investigation I believe some of the officer’s with minor behavior issues would have seen those minors issues grow to become huge career ending and or dangerous issues.

The other side of this coin is of course the citizen that lies about the police or police behavior in order to get an advantage on the system.

The truth be told, people, especially people who commit crimes, don’t like to get caught and locked up. Many people have found that by making an accusation against an officer or group of officers, they can mitigate their exposure to punishment. In other words they find that by lying they can get over on the cops and the system.

In many agencies there is such a concern for being politically correct, that the administrations will take the side of the criminal, just so as not to incur public ridicule. Even if the officer is proven to be innocent of the allegation, no one will ever know and in many instances the officer has to suffer that attack on their reputation. This is just as wrong as the cop doing something improper.

The police are a representative of us, the people. When someone damages a cop’s reputation wrongly, the society is damaged. Every time that cop writes a report or goes to court, that improper allegation will come up and cast doubt on the officer’s credibility. So what you say, who cares?  Well let’s take a look at that.

Say a citizen makes a false allegation against an officer, not murder, but an allegation of an improper use of force. The incident is investigated and the officer is cleared of any wrongdoing.

Then say you are victimized by a mugger. The same officer makes the arrest of the criminal and it goes to trial. The defense attorney will most likely bring up the report of the officer misusing force and in many cases allege the officer did so in arresting their client.

The jury hears this and thinks poorly of the officer and decides to acquit your offender. He/ she goes back out into society and mugs someone else, who really suffered then?  At that point the officer’s reputation would matter a lot.

Now this example may be a bit exaggerated but it makes the point. Police officers are not free-lance men and women who put on uniforms and guns and just decide to run rough-shod over society. We the people created the police force and we empowered the officers to enforce our laws and ordinances. The police represent society.  

 It is for these reasons that the modern IA section should be viewed as a friend to the public and the police. The modern IA unit is tasked with walking a fine line between the rank and file police officers and the people of our communities. Police officers that do their jobs properly have nothing to fear from an IA unit. Citizens who have honest complaints have a right to be heard and their grievances addressed, but it requires all of us to be on the same page. The police serve the community and must respect every member. The community must respect the work of our officers and accept the consequences of our own behavior.

Let me know what you think.   Email: Jpangaro194@yahoo.com                  

       

4th of July 2013

Behind the Badge                    “Fourth of July”

By Joseph Pangaro

 Many countries celebrate their independence, but the America Day of celebration is one that represents the pinnacle of a countries possibilities and people’s aspirations.

Our founders, like all of us, were flawed men who lived in a world unique to their time. But there was also something extraordinary about them. From their hearts and minds sprang a nation like none before it, where the individual was set apart from the state and placed in a position superior to the state. They created a government that would help the individual achieve their greatest potential, not hold him back, by allowing each person to pursue their own destiny as they chose free from government interference.

What we take for granted in 2013, was revolutionary to all of mankind in 1776. In fact for much of our existence as a country we have celebrated our rugged individualism and our ability to choose our path and take our chances based on our own skill, drive and energy. Win or lose we lived for the challenge, and thrived on the struggle.

If we think of the words of the signers of the Declaration of Independence when they publicly pledged their honor, fortunes, and very lives to the cause of freedom, a freedom forged so many years ago that all of us are still beneficiary of.

Many of these men and their families lost their fortunes and their lives in the struggle to birth this nation. At a time when we many modern people scoff at them for their lifestyles and beliefs, we forget that their efforts allowed for the construct of this country and our constitution which led to the changes in societal norms we all herald today.

In recent weeks we have seen reports of government over-reaches into our private lives, the trampling of constitutional safeguards that protect our freedoms  and government programs aimed at fairness that threaten us with fines and jail time if we do not “willingly participate” for our own good. At the bottom of all of this is the belief that these things, while they are a complete deviation from all of the practices of the last 200 plus years, are for the good of all.

Looking at these breaches of our rights openly we can say that having the government look at every e-mail and phone call we make can keep us all safe in this age of terrorism. There is no doubt that having the ability to look at anyone’s private papers, documents, mail, and other personal items whenever you want, without the burden of having to show probable cause can help law enforcement uncover plots and solves crimes much quicker. When we put those violations of our rights up against the backdrop of protecting us from another 9/11 or Boston Bombing it would seem to make common sense to allow the government to do what they please.

In a similar sense wouldn’t the same “Bending” of the rules in everyday police work be just as good an idea. Say you were burglarized and the police had a suspect, but could not gather enough evidence to get a search warrant. Should we allow them to simply search anyway? After all if we did we would absolutely solve more crime. You can use that same scenario with any home grown crime: sex assaults, drug dealing, white collar crime you name it. Removing the burden of oversight would allow our police agencies to clean up crime in short order. 

But we don’t allow that and for good reason- we cherish our privacy and we don’t allow the government (the police) to act simply because they might be able to move quicker. We demand that our police conduct themselves with proper restraint; after all we the people are superior in the equation.

 

So why then do we seem to simply yawn off this sea change in our relationship with governmental power? Could it be that in the years since 1776 we have become so comfortable with our American way of life and trust that our leaders and fellow citizens all hold similar beliefs in freedom as we do? Could it also be that the average citizen doesn’t understand how we got here and the struggle all of humanity has had to deal with for the freedoms we take for granted?

I think it’s a combination of many things, we can’t believe that our country could ever change and that our rights could be so deeply infringed that it would change our very way of life- but history paints a very clear picture for us. If we don’t remember, everyday, that our freedoms have to be zealously guarded and protected from the inevitable creep of government, we will find ourselves in a place we do not recognize; some would say we are already there.

There is no doubt that everyday survival has become harder in this modern world. Ours is a fast paced, never ending run for the money. We can become disillusioned when we see some people living lives of wealth we can only imagine and others struggling to find the next meal and a place to sleep. I believe it’s our natural human inclination to want to “Make things even”. But once again history has many lessons for us on this topic. When we drag people down so that all are the same we drag down our society as well. When we lower the bar so we can feel good, we lower our standards and we all suffer. Instead we can look to our American Legacy of caring and double down on those efforts. We can work through our religious organizations and clubs to help those in need. We can give people a hand up, that make us all better. Our brothers and sister Americans are our responsibility, not the governments. When we shirk our duty to each other we weaken our nation and allow others to control our lives. That is never right and it is the lesson of history.

 Admittedly those things are hard to do, but that is who we were for most of our existence. We need to be those people again if we are to pass this, the greatest nation ever to take hold on the Earth, to the next generation, and the generation after that.   

So on this Fourth of July 2013, as we Bar-B-Que, watch fireworks and wave our flags ask ourselves; are we, as a people, willing to pledge our honor, fortunes and very lives to the cause of freedom or do we simply want someone to take care of us?  If left to us would America have been born? Have we earned our freedom and paid our debt to those who sacrificed for us?  

I for one choose freedom and accept the burden of trying to fulfill my destiny and I thank God for the gift of this country. Happy Fourth of July!

Let me know what you think-    jpangaro194@yahoo.com                   

Bostonian Revelation

“Behind the Badge”               “Bostonian Revelation”     

By Joseph Pangaro

 

Now we ask ourselves: “How did this happen”?, “Why didn’t we see it coming”? There are a million other questions being asked about the act of terror that has gripped our country and sacrificed more innocents upon the alter of freedom.

We are hearing about complacency, a breakdown in intelligence and other theories as to how these two young men; filled with hatred and driven by ideology, could live among us, then without so much as a seconds hesitation; place a back pack bomb at the feet of an 8 year old child as he eats an ice cream cone.

Call it what you will, that is evil.

Unfortunately, as the weeks pass we will not call it evil; we will make excuses for it. We will call it other things because to deem it evil means we are judging and in 2013 we are not permitted to judge, or openly examine a thing and find it to be a festering, malignant darkness that comes at us relentlessly. Proof of our intolerance is to boldly point a finger at it and call it what it is.

Instead we are to ignore our common sense, ignore what we all say around our tables and with our friends, ignore what we see going every day all over the world. There is a war going on and freedom is the target. 

I purposely comment in quietly cloaked tones, to do more would risk bringing ridicule to myself for daring to notice the obvious. By conforming to the ill advised tenants of political correctness we are all positioned to be attacked again and again by whoever has a grudge, or hatred of our lifestyle, our country, or our freedom. It is considered a greater sin to point out the danger than it is to simply endure the results and pretend. This is what we have agreed to, if not openly, then clearly by our silence.

As part of the “silent politically correct” agreement we can have memorials, pray for peace, remember those we loved and lost and be thankful it was not our turn. We can cheer our police, firemen, and soldiers for their never ending acts of bravery when the battle comes home and dutifully chant- “These were just two sick men, this is not part of anything bigger, we are good, we don’t judge, we don’t hate, we don’t care what the facts tell us we will close our eyes and ignore reality”

Ask yourself- Why did this happen? How come we aren’t paying attention? As a country are we not trying to stop gun violence? Are we not trying to end racism, sexism and homophobia and other negative parts of our society?       

The answer is yes to all of those things. We are a good people and we are trying to evolve, we are trying to follow our better angels, but in doing so we have to cross many bridges that remind us of our old self, a self that wasn’t as open minded, or evolved and in striving so hard to avoid the sins of the past we have built a death trap for ourselves. We cannot have real discussion. We can only have feel good, happy talk that constantly acknowledges our past transgressions and asks for forgiveness over and over and over. By engaging in this ritual our discussions are left as meaningless jumbles of slogans, thoughts and expressions designed to display our desired and hoped for new way of thinking; letting everyone know WE are not haters and we don’t not have malice in our hearts for anyone because of their race, creed, religion or orientation. This is nice and makes us feel good, but it does not help us solve our problems.

To move forward we have to be able to say what we really think. If we did that then we might be able to identify where we have succeeded and where we still need to achieve.

Human progress is fraught with difficulty. Attitudes change slowly, understanding takes time. But if we do not come out of this Zombie like state of having to constantly prove we are good, we will be destroyed by those among us in the world that are the real haters, killers and destroyers.

So that’s my soap box- and my first step at healing from this latest, but not last terror episode we all just lived through. My sadness for the loss of the three victims of this evil act is tempered by the pride I feel in the Boston police, FBI, the first aiders, EMT’s and the ordinary citizens that rushed into danger to help those in need.

I will pray for the other injured victims and all the families that have suffered and I pray for all of us who are trying to understand how to be our best selves, and still be able to stand up and protect ourselves from all forms of evil that constantly seek to harm us.

America is the greatest nation that has ever existed. We have come from a time and place when even the greatest minds lived and practiced beliefs and life styles that are abhorrent to our modern senses. Instead of harboring hatred for them, we must acknowledge that some of their beliefs were wrong and we have moved on. They gave us Freedom and a system that empowers the people to choose our own destiny. Just as we have to acknowledge their wrongheaded beliefs we must also recognize their brilliance and the ideals they gave us about freedom.

In 2013 we are a living, breathing creation of those good ideals. As a testament to our evolving decency we have cast aside many of the outdated and in many cases horrible ideas of other people. There is still a ways to go, but we only get there by being able to speak out, without violence or fear of recrimination. Good will overcome evil if we allow all of it to come out of the dark and stand in the light.

This painful process has moved us to understand that the words: “All men are created equal” means exactly that; this understanding is the destruction of racism. The right to pursue happiness tells us that we should be free to love who ever we choose to love and as a people we should always celebrate love where ever we find it- This is acceptance of people who have been forced to hide, we should welcome them. We have the freedom to worship as we please: This means that God comes to each person differently and in their own way. It also means that there is no one way to worship God. We have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, tolerance is a two way street. For those people who do not believe in God that is their choice and we are better off if we accept that and allow them their own road. They must also allow the people of faith the opportunity to walk their chosen road without being stifled, ridiculed or maligned. There is only one truth on this matter and eventually we will all know which is correct, until them let each person enjoy his own beliefs.

The evolved society will find its place, the new understandings will settle into the culture, but it takes time.

Until then we must open our eyes to the real dangers in the world. The ones that kill innocents with ice cream cones and feel they are righteous and justified for it.

Let me know what you think.    Jpangaro194@yahoo.com                        

 

 

The Dispatcher

“Behind the Badge”       Communications Professionals

By Joseph Pangaro

A few years ago a very popular TV game show burst onto the scene. As a part of the drama a contestant stuck on a particular answer could call a friend for help, this was referred to as “A life line”. What a great concept, a life line, someone to reach out to when you really need it. This would be excellent in real life wouldn’t it? There you are at your favorite restaurant, the bill comes and it’ $100 more than you have. The waiter stands there tapping his toe and smiling as you recount your money for the tenth time. Then it hits you, a life line! You dial a buddy and he runs in the front door with the cash, problem solved. There are a thousand other situations where a life line would be a welcome addition to our every day existence. Unfortunately there are very few real life lines out there. In law enforcement we are very lucky because we do have a real life line: The men and women of our communications division, our dispatchers. 

These public service employees are the unsung heroes of the public safety world. They are the connection between the residents of a community and the assistance units they need help from. If someone is breaking into your house and you dial 911 or your local police sttation, a dispatcher answers the call. They take the information from you, which is not always easy. Most times when people call for help they are in various states of distress. The dispatcher has to calm the person down enough to get the pertinent information such as where the incident is taking place and what is needed there. Once they get that info they have to decide on who to send. What officers are available, where are they in relation to the call, is there a specific expertise called for, all the while keeping the caller on the phone and reassuring them. This is not an easy job. I have watched the dispatchers perform their duties under some very trying situations. It is amazing to watch the more veteran communications people as they handle these calls with a calm that would surprise you. They seamlessly connect ambulance calls to fire companies to the county radio room and the same time keep track of the cops on the road and what they need.

There have been times when I have been out at a situation and before my backup has gotten on scene, and the only thing you have is the voice of that dispatcher on the radio to let you know you’re not alone. It can be very reassuring. Some of the people I have worked with over the years have a keen sense of timing and the ability to remember the habits and particulars of how individual officers do their work. They know the difference in the officers tone of voice means he is suspicious and wants more checks to be done on a suspect. Or the way she describes something she is seeing tells the dispatcher to send more help. All this is done without actually having to say those words. It is this kind of dedication to duty and ability that makes the dispatchers a real life line for cops and fire personnel.

Another interesting aspect of a career in dispatching is the way the public deals with them in non emergency situations. Public safety dispatch personnel are at times; counselors, coaches, interrogators, and the last hope for many people with no one else to call. The lonely despondent person that calls for help gets a dispatcher, the woman living with a domestic violence nightmare unsure how to proceed gets a dispatcher, the little child who finds daddy laying on the living room floor and won’t wake up gets a dispatcher. All of these callers go to dispatch first, before ever hearing from or seeing a cop. Properly trained and given the proper respect our dispatchers are a vital link in the public safety chain. We can never overlook their contributions. There are many a dispatchers out there that have saved many lives by talking someone through the steps of CPR, how to do the Heimlich Maneuver, or guiding someone to a hiding spot while awaiting the police.                                                                                                                                                       I know that I am grateful to my dispatch people for their care and concern for me, my officers and the residents of my community.  Next time you have the opportunity to call and speak to a dispatcher I hope you keep this in mind and thank them for their efforts. They are always at the end of the phone when you need them, 24 hours and day seven days a week.      

            

Let me know what you think.   Email me   jpangaro194@yahoo.com

Female Cops

“Behind the Badge”                             “Female Police Officers”

By Joseph Pangaro

The modern law enforcement agency has a variety of tools at their disposal to protect and serve our communities. The opportunities for everyone in our society to participate and add to that tool box have never been greater either, and their value has never been higher. The idea of a female police officer is not new, in the 1970’s it was more novel than it is today since women made up a very small number of the overall police officers nationwide at that time. Today, most agencies have women in uniform, not in the sheer numbers as that of their male counterparts but the number of women joining the ranks is growing every day. As a veteran officer myself I can tell you that the role of women in the world of law enforcement is one that has become essential to the overall delivery of police services.

I am not going to rehash the old arguments about “Can she do the job”. That is so outdated that it is not even worth the time to discuss. The women in law enforcement have proven their abilities over and over again, so the answer for all time should be; “Yes she can”, end of discussion. 

That being said, female police officers are often a source of interest to the general public. In many shore towns our departments have one, two, or may be three female cops. Over the years I have worked with female officers, detectives and investigators and found them to be tremendous assets to any type of investigation. They bring a different perspective in many instances and a different life view and experience. Some of the many questions that are sent to me by readers ask about these female officers and what they think of the career and how they see themselves. Based on those questions I interviewed several of the female officers I know from around the area to get their point of view.  I chose Police Officer Kathleen Delanoy in particular because of her heart felt answers and opinions. Officer Delanoy is a ten year veteran of a local Monmouth County Police Department. Here are excerpts of the interview.

Q: What is it like to be a female police officer?

A: Since the day I started I have gotten the usual questions, “What made you want to be a cop?” and “Aren’t you scared because you’re a girl”. First of all I grew up as a Tom-Boy and I still am. I was about 4 years old when my father’s friend, a local police officer, gave me and my brother a ride in a patrol car. Since then I was hooked. As for being scared, I am no more scared than my male colleagues. There have been times when I have felt overpowered in physical confrontations and wished I had a black belt in marshal arts, but I learned from the very beginning that physical strength should be a cop’s second skill in dealing with an unruly subject. The first ability should be to reason with them, even if they are in your face screaming obscenities at you.

Q: Do you find any advantages to being a female police officer?

A: There is a big advantage at times. When speaking with someone during any type of investigation, even if I arrive late, they tend to ignore the other officer and start telling me their story. Maybe they feel more comfortable speaking to a female because a woman’s presence is not always as intimidating as a man’s can be. There have been many times when I have had to search a female prisoner and they will tell me things they did not tell the male officers. Sometimes men will talk to me over a male officer and divulge information about an incident too.

Being a female officer can also be quite amusing at times too. I have stopped women who pretend to cry as I am walking up, thinking a male officer will fall for their sob story and let them go. When they realize I am a female their faces are priceless!

Q: How do you get along with your male counterparts on the job?

A: I am one of two female police officers who work with sixty men. In the beginning there was a male cop who refused to acknowledge my presence. I was overly nice to him and that didn’t work. After about 10 months on the job I stopped a car and found two stolen handguns in a hidden compartment. That same cop told me he was jealous because he had not gotten even one gun off the street. He said I proved that women could do the job. Since then I have been really lucky because the men I work with treat me like their sister.

Q: How do you think the public views you?

A: I have never had someone tell me that I shouldn’t be a police officer because I am female. I have heard on numerous occasions that people are impressed with the fact that I work with mostly all men and can handle the stress of the job. Sometimes I forget that I am different than male officers because we are a tight knit family. Then when I am approached by a mom with her kids she will say to little Johnny or Jane “Look women can be cops too”. I realize that I stand out as different as a male officer.  

Q: What do you feel is the best aspect of being a female police officer?

A: One of the best aspects is probably the hardest to describe and one that only another cop can understand. I have been extremely lucky to work with such a great group of men. The closeness we share is comparable to the bonds that families share. They do not make me feel different or uncomfortable when I am with them. They call me to go out as if I was one of the boys; they would jump in front of a bullet for me as I would for them. 

Another aspect of being a female police officer is clear when I walk in on a domestic and the female half is automatically drawn to me. It’s a reminder that the reason I took this job, like most cops, is to help others. When a woman tells me her side of the story, whether their boyfriend or husband has cheated on them or beat them up, they feel compelled to cry on my shoulder like I was one of their girlfriends. My goal is to leave their minds at ease and all their questions answered.

Q: What is the most difficult aspect of being a female cop?

A: There are some negative aspects to being a female officer, both on the job and off. Physical strength is one of them. Some situations require using force to neutralize a situation. Not having the physical strength of a male officer is very frustrating. That’s why working out is the key to officer safety for both men and women. Another tough area is dating. I have met men who aren’t cops and some of them feel intimidated because I carry a gun. I have dated men who don’t understand what a bad day really is. My bad day is having a child dying after doing CPR for an hour, their bad day might be a meeting that ran too long.

Another difficult aspect is that even though I am one of the guys, there are times when I don’t fit in. When I was new I was invited to a party and none of the wives and girlfriends would talk to me. The guys also acted different because they didn’t want their wives and girlfriends to think that they were as close to me as they were. As soon as they found out I was dating someone they accepted me.

Q: Do you think there is a difference in the way you are treated by the public compared to male officers?

A: Yes. The most annoying comment is when a man will say “Please arrest me officer” and put their hands behind their back.  I want to say “This is not a costume I am a professional”, instead I just smile and keep walking. Sometimes I hear comments about being too feminine to be a cop, little do they know I punch like a man!”

Q: What is your favorite part of police work?

A:  My favorite part is when I am approached by someone who remembers me from a call and tell me that I made a positive difference in their lives. I met a woman in a restaurant one day and she asked if I remembered her. I apologized because I didn’t, we see so many people in a day. She said I saved her life. I arrested her for possessing heroin and transported her to the county jail and treated her with respect. I asked her if she ever tried to quit using the drugs. She said using drugs was like breathing, but she quit soon after that and has been clean ever since. She said I made her feel like a human being and not just another drug addict. That was amazing.

Q: Would you recommend police work to other women?

A: I would definitely recommend a career in police work. I was never the type to sit behind a desk for 8 hours. The job is definitely not monotonous and is different every day. The bonds between officers are incredible and the feeling of saving a life, delivering a baby or simply making a positive impact on someone’s life is the best feeling in the world.

That short interview was just a glimpse into the world of our female police officers. I want to thank Officer Delanoy for her candid answers and personal points of view. I know the work she does and the difference she makes in the lives of the people in her community; they are lucky to have her on the job. She is truly a professional and takes the demands and responsibilities of the job to heart. Officer Delanoy is typical of the female police officers I have worked with over the course of my career. They have earned their place in the thin blue line by their actions and service to the community.  Each one is a great example of the type of dedication that a career in law enforcement demands.

Let me know what you think.         Jpangaro194@yahoo.com

Rogue Cop- LAPD

This is a very dangerous situation.  The rogue officer out in Los Angeles in on a hate fueled killing spree. So far they know of two definate murders and can most likley link a third. This is not good. Someone on that kind of a binge can strike at any moment. He left a manifesto that could help investigators find him by reading it and deciphereing what else he has a vendetta against.

This story will roll untill he is confronted and taken out or burns out and take his own life. Either way its got to be tense out in California.  I wish my brother and sister officers safety and luck to bring this guy in and stop the killing.

JP 
   

2013 A look Forward

“Behind the Badge”           A look forward -2013

By Joseph Pangaro

The year is new; once again many of us make resolutions and plans for this annual renewal. Whether it’s getting healthier, smarter, stronger, nicer, and more generous or the thousands of other things we can be “better” at, one thing remains the same- we want to change.

As with other best intentions they don’t always work out so well. We lose interest, get distracted, or lose faith in our goals. In this year 2013 we have many things to consider as a nation and as individual people. Having survived the End of the World this past December 21 and all the hype that went with it for the past three years, I am hopeful that we can begin to look into things a bit deeper, to spend more time trying to gain a true understanding of the things around us and the choices we will be called on to make.

It would seem that as we enter 2013 our nation is truly at a crossroads, some may even say we have gone beyond the crossroads point and have moved in a new direction totally. It would seem that many parts, traditions and norms of the United States, if not most of the “Old” America has been left behind, replaced with a new view of the world and our place in it.

Re-Defining ourselves seems to be taking place right before our eyes, without much actual discussion or debate. For many people this is a refreshing change, a chance to reinvent who we are, to set things right as they should have been. For others it is not quite so good. Changing the dynamics of how we live and function among the global community and within the borders of our own country is difficult at best.Regardless of where you come out on this process the reality is that it is happening and there is no stopping it.

This leads to the obvious question- are we headed in the right direction? Are we remaking America into a better place or are we destroying what was the best place on earth for the sake of change.  I have to ask an even deeper question, do we have any idea who we are at all? It would seem that we have lost our perspective.

When we view the founding fathers, not as noble and honorable men of vision who created a country where anyone, from any background could achieve anything they could imagine by working hard, sacrificing and dedicating themselves to their goals, to seeing them as a group of privileged, racists, whose sole aim was to take advantage to every opportunity, every person and everything of value for their own benefit; therefore rendering everything they did  and set in motion as illegitimate, we remove a cornerstone of who we are. This leads us to a path very different than what we have been following for the past 200 plus years. Which could be a good thing or a very bad thing.

A column of 800 words is not really the place for this discussion, but it is a place to ask the question- what do we want to be?

Looking back at the totality of our history it is easy to find and point out things we have done wrong, beliefs that we had to change, practices and prejudices that could not stand, but if all we do is look at our faults and sins without accepting  that we have made great changes and overcome the negative things, then we are doomed to see ourselves as no better than any other society.

Even making the statement that America is better than most other places is offensive to many people. That in and of itself speaks volumes as to why we are in such an era of upheaval.

To look at our founding we could, if we choose to, see a free people declaring that for the first time in human history, individual liberty trumps government. Or we could view that same founding; as many people do today, as the opening salvo of an oppressive nation lead by an oppressive few, bound to steal the worlds resources for their own enrichment.

Sadly these two options, these two ways of viewing our America, are as real and truthful as anything else.

Did we, at the cost of thousands of American lives, liberate Europe from the diabolical hands of NAZI Germany and a decent into an unparalleled hell, or did we simply take advantage of the moment to assert ourselves as a superpower in a better position to plunder the riches of the globe crushed beneath our military feet?

Does our Military itself serve the betterment of mankind by fighting against evil dictators, regimes, and despots, or does it simply do the bidding of the Rich and powerful who run the military complex, picking its involvements based on financial gain for its owners.

Do the rights we once proclaimed as coming from God, and treasured and vowed to protect to the death, now seem to be valid only if they are wielded against anyone we perceive to have more power or money than they need or deserve.

Have we taken the uniquely American opportunity to rise above our birth stations and become as rich and powerful as our abilities, gifts, and desires take us, or do we now see even the idea of rising and attaining as evil?

Do we now embrace the concept that equal outcome is more appropriate than equal opportunity? Do we cede our options to others to decide what is most fair and just for everyone, or do we maintain our own sense of fairness and justice?

These questions, and many others similarly themed are before us as we move into 2013 and the years to follow. What is our American Heritage? Has it all been a farce? Are we really an evil people deserving of a slide from prominence? Are our traditions and values worth maintaining or do we move away from what has been our American Legacy and towards a new America?

As I talk to people about these questions and the conversations run all over the possibilities, it becomes clear that we are changing as a nation. Depending on the age of the people I have spoken to, their opinions reflect either what they have lived or been taught as truth or as is the case for many people, what they have heard the truth is from the popular culture and media of the moment.

In the end we are faced with decisions that must be made either by proactive national consensus, lethargy and a slide into the answers, or as the result of imposition by whoever happens to be in charge at the moment.

I see America as I choose to live it, a place with a rich history and vibrant past. I am proud of our people for the things we have changed over the years. When we saw or realized something was not right, we changed to become a better America. It was not always easy and the work is certainly not complete, but we are the greatest country God has ever seen fit to live on this planet.

Our Military and their families have fought against tyranny all over the globe, with thousands of patriots paying the ultimate sacrifice on the altar of freedom and justice for people and places they had no previous relationship too other than justice itself.

America is a unique place- a land where the individual could become whoever he/ she wanted to be. A place where you could relate to your God as you saw fit. A place where you could reject the concept of a God and instead worship whatever you believed was truth and find peace in your choice. A place where my children and yours could decide for themselves and their generation what paths to take and how to make the world a better place. A place where the people, bound together by an understanding that human freedom is a gift to be cherished and defended at every turn, could achieve their dreams and lay a foundation for a better tomorrow.

I hope this is still the case for our country. For now it is still our choice. Our destiny is unwritten and will ultimately be decided by our own hands. We will forge a better America based on our traditions, our compassion, faith, and love of freedom or we will choose to let someone else, wiser than ourselves decide for us and live with the consequences.

2013 can be a bright spot for all of us. We can choose to see each other as fellow travelers on the path. We can learn to value each person for their deeds and not their designation by race, creed, religion, social status, or who they love. We can be better and still be America. That’s is my hope for the New Year.

I want to thank all of you who take the time to email or write to me. I appreciate all of your comments and critiques and I try to learn from each encounter. We are all truly blessed to be here as 2013 dawns. I wish all of you and your families a wonderful New Year filled with health and happiness and I pray we find the answers we seek and the justice we all deserve. 

Let me know what you think.                     Jpangaro194@yahoo.com