Soliloquy, comparing working in an industrial environment to street police
work, wrote;

Why don't police just insist of their supervisors
that their jobs be made safe?

LOL...because it's impossible. 'Safety' is, after all, a relative term...I
feel 'safer' solo cave diving deep in a Florida cave than I do in early morning
traffic, because there are less variables to contend with, and most all of them
I've anticipated and have trained and equipped myself to deal with.

Besides, OSHA regulations don't apply to government agencies...including the
police.

Simply put, you get the best training and equipment you can afford, and do your
best. That's about as safe as you can get.

I have
seen calls go for half an hour before they have someone to dispatch to
the scene

Again, your convoluted logic escapes me. You wrote that Pittsburgh is
suffering budget problems and police force cuts, and still, you expect every
call for service to be answered as fast as they come in? It's not going to
happen; even here, the day watch inraviably rolls out with anywhere from 10-30
calls backlogged. More calls come in than Officers to handle them, and, with
budget constraints and police being terminated due to budget cuts, the
situation just gets worse. Of course calls get priority dispatching, but it's
not the cops' fault if mebbe 10-50 cops are trying to handle perhaps problems
emanating from 35,000 to 500,000 people. It's the system...yet of course, you
blame the police.

Even calls with violence, such as violent domestics,
have had to wait 15 minutes or more before a unit is available.

Yes...there's just so much work that can be accomplished in a given time by a
given number of people to handle it.

In a
twist on your issue about calling the police, if I was at home and heard
a noise, I get the gun first, and then call the police next. Home
invasions are increasingly common here, calling the police will get
nothing but someone to write up the report.

I think you are being prudent in arming yourself in such a situation. And what
of the rural counties where perhaps the nearest law enforcement officer is an
hour away? Of course it happens...but do you really think that all of this is
due to the fault of the individual officers?

Examine the public servants at Columbine that hid outside while students
and a teacher bled to death.

Those people were following established policies in effect at the time...do you
really expect that police agencies have a little book that covers *all*
eventualities?


Police, they are no better than the rest of us. They have made a career
choice, hopefully they honor their choice by working in a dignified way.

I'm interested in the context and manner in which you might define 'better',
but that is another issue. I, too, hope that all law enforcement
officials...indeed, every person...performs their jobs/duties in a dignified
manner.

By militarizing the police, they are distanced from the citizens that
they supposedly "serve".

Wow...talk about bouncing off into a tangent!

Are you now going to raise the hoary old use of the term "serve and protect"?
Incidentally, that is a city's motto, not a universal policy for all police all
over the nation. Several cities have adopted the motto, but what it means is
that police protect the public by serving the law. Look it up if you disagree.

Some time ago, in a story on Waco, it was
pointed out why local police should handle such issues, not Federal
lackeys. Since the local police have to live with the local populations,
their actions will be tempered by their desire not to alienate
themselves from their communities.

I personally believe that the Waco incident was completely mishandled, and I
agree here with your assessment.

Few of you seem to find any fault with the police, or in worshipping the
police in a manner that people have been taught to worship soldiers.

LOL...what is it with you and this constant use of the term 'worship'? I've
served in two branches of the U.S. armed forces, and in law enforcement, and if
people were worshipping me and my colleagues, I'd sure like to know about it
g.

By honoring incompetent police, dishonorable
police, or police involved in criminal activity, you dishonor those
truly deserving "respect".

Now, on that, we are on complete and total agreement, sir. Fire the
incompetents and prosecute the criminals, by all means.

Cheers....

James S. Prine
http://hometown.aol.com/jsprine/