Real good cops exist — professionals who put service over spectacle and protect communities with integrity. We should thank and uplift them while demanding accountability from those who betray the badge.
Good law enforcement respects and protects our Constitution and Civil Rights. Under Trumps DHS and DOJ thugs are being used as his private Gestapo and funded with our taxpayer dollars against American citizens and legal immigrants as well as any other people they wish to bully, intimidate and whose civil rights they choose to violate
Thanks so much for this excellent counsel. One request: Please move your message to your fellow law enforcement officers to the TOP of your post! And again at the end. It is so so so important! “Stand with us against tyranny.” YES.
Thanks. It would be helpful if a local law enforcement agency would explain why police officers do not protect people from the brutal behavior of ICE, and hold them accountable for violating the constitution. Are they told to stand down? If so, by whom?
This is a very complicated issue, fraught with danger for citizens and police officers alike. It is also a highly localized dynamic dependent on demographics, local politics and law. I also understand the frustration of citizens that their state and local police aren't doing more to prevent federal abuses and criminality. But regardless of their individual political affiliation the ability of police officers to oppose heavily armed federal thugs on the street is limited. I am attempting to put together some thoughts on this for another article.
Nice. I hear you. I'm looking at it from the most basic perspective: regardless of who is breaking the law, violating the constitutional rights of people, beating them up, even killing them, a society driven by the rule of law is obligated to protect people. And although I might be talking out of my back side, this means protecting all of us from illegal abuse. The laws exist exactly for this kind of thing. I also think that because of no law enforcement intervention, people will figure out that we are on our own to protect ourselves and others. Not a good situation, but perhaps one that ICE wants.
That is precisely my worry as well, William. The first article I wrote back in November was motivated by my fear that Americans were going to start seeing state and local cops as the enemy, putting us all in the same camp with ICE/Border Patrol. Most of us are not, even those who voted for Trump. My fear has only heightened with the continued murder of civilians in Minneapolis. The main problem with cops confronting and trying to arrest ICE is that 1) They truly are thugs with a badge, lots of guns and a mandate from the top to terrorize all of us into compliance without any restraints or fear of being held accountable, and 2) an obvious willingness to use those guns to do whatever they please. If and when civilian police attempt to stop or arrest any of these thugs the arresting officer(s) and their department will undoubtedly be met with overwhelming force. And that doesn't do anything good for the community or the nation, not to mention the officers at the tip of that spear. I am afraid that any armed use of force against ICE/Border Patrol, either by civilian police agencies or armed civilians is only going to give Trump/Miller exactly what they want - an excuse to declare martial law and send in the military. I am not convinced there's nothing that honorable police departments can't do to help at this moment, I'm just not sure exactly how they help without starting an armed conflict on our streets and getting a lot of people killed. These are lawless criminals who've been given license to do whatever they want. And they appear to like it. Very much.
I have only the best impressions of NY State Troopers. Once on a trip into upstate NY (my home’s the other side of the river) I got lost and the obvious answer, as I was passing it, was to go the nearest state trooper office. They were efficient, welcoming, professional, and friendly - sent me on my way with reassurance and accurate directions. You are a world apart from the the untrained and despicable ICE behaviour we know is for real. Thank you for being what REAL law enforcement and citizen protection looks like.
I am not police of any kind but have been thinking many of the concepts for weeks now and urging independent media folks to draw the distinctions. I see the regime intentionally conflating local and State police with these essentially unfit, untrained, federal, lawless, unconstitutional thugs. It is an insult to professional law enforcement to call them agents. They are nothing of the sort.
Eloquently stated. Thank you for educating others about the extensive vetting, education, training, and intensive work that goes into becoming a true law enforcement officer. Please send this to every news organization and publication you can. Most people are useless when it comes to the stark differences between law enforcement training and the travesty that is ICE and CBP.
As with so many things today, the comments such as in this piece are known... nice to have them laid out again, explained once more, made clear to even the empty-headed fools. But, having said that, the question remains; when are people going to wake up and realize standing tall and saying "NO!" is often enough. I understand there is a lock-down in Minnesota this week, nobody goes to work, nobody buy anything in any store, nobody does anything except stand tall. Sounds good to me. We'll see how it plays out.
Thank you for this very informative post on what it takes to be a law enforcement officer. I appreciate all of the good things done by good police. Unfortunately ICE does not abide by any kind of protocols and are a blight on our country.
Real good cops exist — professionals who put service over spectacle and protect communities with integrity. We should thank and uplift them while demanding accountability from those who betray the badge.
An outstanding post! Thanks to Officer Cowper for writing it!
Good law enforcement respects and protects our Constitution and Civil Rights. Under Trumps DHS and DOJ thugs are being used as his private Gestapo and funded with our taxpayer dollars against American citizens and legal immigrants as well as any other people they wish to bully, intimidate and whose civil rights they choose to violate
Thank you for this careful and well-written article. It's also honest. We need beacons on our collective horizon to guide our better selves.
We had to institute Citizen Review boards because Internal Affairs was such a joke. A former Minneapolis resident
Thanks so much for this excellent counsel. One request: Please move your message to your fellow law enforcement officers to the TOP of your post! And again at the end. It is so so so important! “Stand with us against tyranny.” YES.
Thanks. It would be helpful if a local law enforcement agency would explain why police officers do not protect people from the brutal behavior of ICE, and hold them accountable for violating the constitution. Are they told to stand down? If so, by whom?
This is a very complicated issue, fraught with danger for citizens and police officers alike. It is also a highly localized dynamic dependent on demographics, local politics and law. I also understand the frustration of citizens that their state and local police aren't doing more to prevent federal abuses and criminality. But regardless of their individual political affiliation the ability of police officers to oppose heavily armed federal thugs on the street is limited. I am attempting to put together some thoughts on this for another article.
Nice. I hear you. I'm looking at it from the most basic perspective: regardless of who is breaking the law, violating the constitutional rights of people, beating them up, even killing them, a society driven by the rule of law is obligated to protect people. And although I might be talking out of my back side, this means protecting all of us from illegal abuse. The laws exist exactly for this kind of thing. I also think that because of no law enforcement intervention, people will figure out that we are on our own to protect ourselves and others. Not a good situation, but perhaps one that ICE wants.
That is precisely my worry as well, William. The first article I wrote back in November was motivated by my fear that Americans were going to start seeing state and local cops as the enemy, putting us all in the same camp with ICE/Border Patrol. Most of us are not, even those who voted for Trump. My fear has only heightened with the continued murder of civilians in Minneapolis. The main problem with cops confronting and trying to arrest ICE is that 1) They truly are thugs with a badge, lots of guns and a mandate from the top to terrorize all of us into compliance without any restraints or fear of being held accountable, and 2) an obvious willingness to use those guns to do whatever they please. If and when civilian police attempt to stop or arrest any of these thugs the arresting officer(s) and their department will undoubtedly be met with overwhelming force. And that doesn't do anything good for the community or the nation, not to mention the officers at the tip of that spear. I am afraid that any armed use of force against ICE/Border Patrol, either by civilian police agencies or armed civilians is only going to give Trump/Miller exactly what they want - an excuse to declare martial law and send in the military. I am not convinced there's nothing that honorable police departments can't do to help at this moment, I'm just not sure exactly how they help without starting an armed conflict on our streets and getting a lot of people killed. These are lawless criminals who've been given license to do whatever they want. And they appear to like it. Very much.
Yeah, agreed, it is a pickle.
Thank you for the truth concerning police work. ICE officers today are not adhering to rules and laws of policing. They act however they want!
You don't mention that a lot of this "training," if not all of it, is done by the Israeli army, called the IDF.
I have only the best impressions of NY State Troopers. Once on a trip into upstate NY (my home’s the other side of the river) I got lost and the obvious answer, as I was passing it, was to go the nearest state trooper office. They were efficient, welcoming, professional, and friendly - sent me on my way with reassurance and accurate directions. You are a world apart from the the untrained and despicable ICE behaviour we know is for real. Thank you for being what REAL law enforcement and citizen protection looks like.
Thank you for an expert analysis of the current situation in America which is becoming
more and more disturbing
Hitler's Storm Troopers come to mind
This behavior defies the Constitution and we must take back Congress this November to
begin the restoration of our beloved America
Thank you so much for writing this!
I am not police of any kind but have been thinking many of the concepts for weeks now and urging independent media folks to draw the distinctions. I see the regime intentionally conflating local and State police with these essentially unfit, untrained, federal, lawless, unconstitutional thugs. It is an insult to professional law enforcement to call them agents. They are nothing of the sort.
That you kindly for your clear words and service.
Eloquently stated. Thank you for educating others about the extensive vetting, education, training, and intensive work that goes into becoming a true law enforcement officer. Please send this to every news organization and publication you can. Most people are useless when it comes to the stark differences between law enforcement training and the travesty that is ICE and CBP.
As with so many things today, the comments such as in this piece are known... nice to have them laid out again, explained once more, made clear to even the empty-headed fools. But, having said that, the question remains; when are people going to wake up and realize standing tall and saying "NO!" is often enough. I understand there is a lock-down in Minnesota this week, nobody goes to work, nobody buy anything in any store, nobody does anything except stand tall. Sounds good to me. We'll see how it plays out.
Thank you for this very informative post on what it takes to be a law enforcement officer. I appreciate all of the good things done by good police. Unfortunately ICE does not abide by any kind of protocols and are a blight on our country.