I remember years ago there was a bumper sticker "WHO NEEDS POLICE?...EVERYONE"
I don't think that could ever be truer than it is today, but we seem to be losing sight of that.
Yesterday, Connecticut's House of Representatives debated a bill aimed at Police Brutality.
Abusive officers can not be tolerated,and theHartford Police has done a pretty good job of dealing with the issue but Representative Gonzalez of Hartford seemed to paint Law Enforcement Officers with a pretty wide brush yesterday. Gonzalez also seemed to not have a problem with incorrect information during her rant.
Despite her comments, Hartford Police Officers do not get free meals or get their meals paid for as part of their lucrative benefits. And they don't carry "bats".
The Connecticut State Police do get a meal allowance, but that is as a result of a Collective Bargaining agreement approved by the same Legislative body that Representative Gonzalez is a member of.
Although Gonzalez portrays the men and women of Law Enforcement as "Cowboys" with "Bats and Guns". ( I think she probably meant badges and guns, but I'm sure for her performance, cops with bats probably fit her image better)
The other three videos below are just an example of what Police Officers in Hartford and across our Country face every day as they work to protect us.
The officers in these videos exhibit great restraint and professionalism as they deal with unruly parties. Listen to the anguish in the officers voice as he tries to talk a gunman down before he had to shoot him to protect his and others lives. Watch the Philadelphia Officer as he puts up with the rant and behavior of a drunk or impaired TV reporter. I doubt many of us mere mortals could show the restraint this officer did. At the very least she should have received a face full of pepper spray or a Taser dart .
The last video has some pretty poor police tactics as a suspect pulls a gun from his waistband and opens fire on the officers , as they talked to him the entire time before the shooting and treated him with respect. I think it shows the human side and how bad things can go bad with our officers. There clearly is only instinct and survival mode as these incidents unwrap very quickly.
And yes, they are still humans doing a tough job.
This type of behavior is more the rule than the exception.
Representative Gonzalez and her fellow critics need to get out of the confines of their Sanctuary at the Capitol and get in touch with what goes on on our streets.
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