Community Policing Begins With Redefining The Word "Community"

Isn't it funny how things come full circle?

Years ago it was a cooperative effort of left wing extremism and concerned cops who came together to make efforts towards furthering the gun restrictions.  In the wake of so much domestic terror, the war of words over the war with guns has now drawn the battle lines so clearly that proponents of gun restrictions are growing weary with the intensity of the NRA (National Rifle Association) attack against any reasonable restriction of guns

Obviously, the NRA has a vested interest in the revenues that are lost when any gun loses favor in the market, even guns with 7 inch bullets that can take down an airplane, much less a police officer. Yet, NRA supporters will rightfully remind you that even a .22 caliber gun would have worked in the hands of this recent cop killer. As a result, restrictions to gun ownership -that might insure mentally ill people can't easily shoot their girlfriends and then catch a bus to New York to shoot a couple of cops - get treated as misdirected rhetoric.  According to a few disgruntled cops, the mayor of New York Bill DeBlasio and Obama (because everything must be connected to Obama) are the reason for the senseless killing of New York police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

David Koresh (above) and
Randy Weaver sparked the Oklahoma
City retaliation of Tim McVeigh.

While my heart goes out to the nation and the family of these officers, this incident is one of  very few noteworthy episodes of retaliatory behavior against law enforcement.  This killer thought he had killed his girlfriend, whom he shot and left critically wounded- and then he traveled to kill the officers in New York. The plan to kill these officers might have been concocted prior to the plan to kill his girlfriend, but the story seems to suggest something else.

Family of Ismaaiyl Brinsley say that he was troubled for some time and had been in and out of jail without getting help for obvious mental problems.  Social media sites from Brinsley confirm his troubled mind and led Baltimore police to attempt to send warnings to New York officials regarding the developing plans of Brinsley.


Had social media sites been available during the domestic terrorism of Tim McVeigh, they would have shown angered posting towards the US government regarding the killing of David Koresh and the Branch Dividian group outside of Waco, Texas, as well as the deadly FBI confrontation of Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge in Idaho. Crazed lunatics who use their frustration with government to make a murderous statement towards those we pay to protect are uncommon.  We may remember Brinsley's name decades from now like we do McVeigh, but only because he has joined select company.

Tim McVeigh is the only noteworthy retaliation of record.

During all of the protests that have occurred since Michael Brown Jr. and Eric Garner were killed, no reports of police retaliatory murders have happened outside of Liu and Ramos even though hundreds of police line the path of protest.  Neither my news engulfed brain nor Google could uncover anything noteworthy, other than Tim McVeigh, as a clear example of murderous retaliation against law enforcement for the perception of excessive abuse.   Police killings happen all of the time, but retaliation towards police is so rare that blaming anyone for the actions of Brinsley seems opportunistic.

Retaliatory killing of cops might be limited because the risk of return fire provides a significant deterrent, but most protesters have repeatedly stated that 98% or more of police officers are absolutely amazing.  This is a problem of a few bad hires and bad laws that defend bad cops, and the negative perceptions that cloud both sides of this community debate.

Former Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson described the neighborhood that he was policing when he killed Michael Brown Jr. as a place of shame to the community.  What he didn't respect is that 99% of those citizens in that neighborhood are fully law abiding people who totally respect law enforcement even if they live with distrust towards them. Colored by this two-way street of negative perceptions, its no wonder that Michael Brown Jr. lost his life that day. The only surprise came from the 4 hours he lay dead in the street and the lack of accountability when video captured Eric Garner's last cry for breath. If protests against bad policing are as toxic as some are now calling them, then shouldn't we have seen more retaliation?

Its been to all of our surprise, and remorse, that New York has added two of its finest to this conversation of community policing across the nation.  Their place in this conversation might be as necessary as it is tragic. Reports have uncovered that officer Ramos saw his job as a ministry and was studying to become certified as a chaplain.  In many ways, Liu and Ramos were the embodiment of peace officers who were positively committed to representing community policing.  Brown Jr., Garner, Liu and Ramos.  Each of these deaths can surely serve a greater purpose if cooler heads would allow.

All violence is a solution that shuns the quiet whisper of cooler heads.  Our culture of violence has reached a significant crossroad in which we must determine if stronger militarism, more arming of common citizens or better arming of  our police forces is a better approach to violence than the peaceful alternatives that seldom gain attention. Since police officers are growing into a para-military force, the peace officer is becoming a distant dream of the past. Liu and Ramos prove that this is not the full reality, but if the perception towards cops doesn't improve, neither shall their safety....or ours.

The real question of the hour?:

Who is most responsible for the image of the police; the police or the communities that they police?  When finally WE no longer separate our image of police from our image of the community, than WE shall see that the community and the police are inextricably ONE and the same.