perspectives

Let me start this off with a disclaimer: I have the utmost respect for the police. I really do. They do an amazing job despite complaints coming at the from just about every direction while putting their life endanger daily. This is just one situation and what time in life. Not a blanket statement about law enforcement. That being said...

There is the one officer that I see A LOT. And see the thing is, he drives me crazy! He's a young looking guy, actually, I would describe him as baby faced, and he's quite short. I think maybe, he's trying to prove himself.

Unfortunately, the way he tries to prove himself is by being a real jerk to the client's he brings into IPDA; and he brings a lot in. Granted, his job is basically to patrol downtown and keep things safe and free of people passed out on the streets. Thus, bringing in people is his job. But seriously, this guy is psycho sometimes. And he's violent towards the clients which pisses me off. Maybe it's justified, maybe it's not. Honestly, though I see different pairs of officers all the time, and none of them behave like this guy.

For example, he had this old guy, arthritis, partly deaf, he was being a bit slow getting his things off (see: intoxication). And he just grabbed the guy and his head wound up banging the plexiglass a bunch of times. It was pretty hard to watch. Then they threw him in a cell without a mat. So this poor old guy had to lie on the cold, cold floor. He did that the day before too, only the guy was naked, and had to lie on the cold cold floor. Bah. The guy was intoxicated so he stripped, he wasn't violent at all. The very next cops I had come by I asked them to throw a mat in for me. And thankfully they were nice enough to do so.

So yes. Perspectives. I see people differently from the police for the simple reason I have a different relationship with them and a different job. It's a lot easier for me to be understanding of a guy who I talk to everyday and know a little better, then for the police who are dragging him off a street corner drunk for the 10th time that month. When I have them in IPDA they're in a cell not doing anything, and I'm safe, whereas the cops have to bring them in against their will often. They do the hard work.

I don't know. It's a lot harder to have respect for someone when you're out their scooping them off the street AGAIN then when you're inside watching them sleep on a mat in the shelter and barely being able to get up in the morning because their arthritis is so bad.