June 2020 Blues Issue Vol 36 No 6

A Time of Chaos &
Social Media
Moving Forward: We Must Be Each
Other’s Keeper…STEP UP and SPEAK
If you are one of the few people ones we know and they are easy to
who regularly read my Badge and follow, but we need to talk about
Gun articles, you know how much I a third. The truth is we do an extremely
harp on being each other’s “keeper”.
difficult job, one which is
Now more than ever, we need to judged with the highest of scrutiny
and that fact is not going away.
“It’s a lack of clarity that creates
chaos and frustration. Those of a few. Sadly, we are also
The suicide numbers within law Now I don’t need to sit here and
haviors based on the actions
live that every single day at work.
emotions are poison to any living seeing our nation’s officers
enforcement are staggering. We lecture you about how to do your
goal.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the facing this type of judgement
had 228 officers commit suicide job and what is right and wrong,
Truth, and Being Free
and discrimination as they are
nationwide last year and this year you know what is right! You also
I, like countless others in our targeted by those who utilize
we have seen 60 officers take their don’t need everyone in the world to
nation, have witnessed chaos
threats and violence as their
own life across the country. With tell you what is right and wrong…
over the past several days message. I have spoken with
the strain of the pandemic and the YOU KNOW! You know on a scene
as thousands have taken to the hundreds of officers regarding
stress that comes along with it, that you are at, what you are
streets to protest the devastating these current circumstances and
these numbers will likely grow. It is seeing, what you are experiencing
and the feeling in your gut. If recover from, and likely cost offi-
incumbent upon all of us to check
actions of Minneapolis officers one thing is very clear. NO ONE them to stay tuned. In fact, it is
on one another and make sure your a fellow officer on your scene is cers their lives. In addition, if in that
in the death of George Floyd on hates bad cops more than good designed to create changes in
friends and co-workers are doing doing something that you believe moment you don’t act, you could
May 25, 2020. It was unquestionably
a tipping point for those of the poor choices and the fall-
According to Carolyn Crist
Our community is stressed as feel, you have an obligation and a going to prison. In a moment where
cops as they often feel the brunt our brain.
alright.
is wrong, from what you see and be looking at losing your job and
who believe that systemic racism
out, and media drives the nar-
(2017), a freelance health and
well during this pandemic and has duty to STEP UP and SPEAK UP. It you know something is wrong and
is still pervasive in Amerirative
like a California wildfire. science journalist, there are
been a factor (along with bail and could be as simple as saying “Let you feel it with every fiber of your
can policing today. These events The result is often anxiety, fear, several ways the brain processes
criminal justice reform) in causing
me take your suspect” or “Turn him being, you MUST use all of your
violent crime to skyrocket in on his side” or “Get them up and get courage, that I know is in all of us,
have coincided with the recent conflict, and despair.
social media information. Brains
loss of jobs, income, and stability
of over 40 million people and a curse. We can commu-
Like Pavlov’s dog, we’re trained
year from last, and we are on track correct that is not a week later by I can promise you all the next
Social media is both a blessing crave “likes” on social media.
Houston. Murders are up 50% this them in the back seat”. The time to to step in and do what is right.
to have the deadliest year in quite filing some anonymous complaint viral video of another officer is just
due to the ongoing corona virus nicate with others who live all to enjoy the rewards of another
some time. Compound that with aggravated
assaults being up over 20% moment you need to step in, you promise you that anyone looking to
with IAD, by then it’s too late. In that around the corner, and I can also
pandemic, Americans in general over the world and can participate
in important social causes. and another comment on our
click, another emoji reaction,
were already on edge and this
and it creates an extremely dangerous
environment for all of you and munity, the 800,000 other officers in cers will always pull up videos from
owe it to our profession, our com-
harm the reputation of police offi-
added significant fuel to the fire. However, the nature of social posts. We’re more likely to boost
When basic human needs are media also allows for “keyboard what other people like, too. Peer
the community we swore to protect.
Nationwide, we have already if that isn’t enough, you owe it to how do we move forward to make
this country, your co-workers, and the past. The point of this article is
compromised or threatened, the warriors” to post hateful messages
endorsement and peer influ-
frustration rises. It was in some
and false information. I ence ring strong in our heads,
had approximately 110 officers shot. yourself and your family.
sure we protect the community,
ways a perfect storm and it is reached out to an officer this whether digital or not. Our social
We need to make sure that we are If you don’t STEP UP and SPEAK ourselves, the other 800,000 officers
playing out on the social media week who was injured in a riot media well-being seems to be
checking by with one another and UP in that moment, we will all pay across this country, and our profession.
The only way to do that is to
stage.
and he was well and recovering
despite reports that he was interactions. As in, social media
when requesting help on a scene. wears a uniform, who is honest be each other’s keeper every single
inversely related to our in-person
responding to one another quickly the price. Every single officer who
Like any social institution in
If you want to ride as a two-officer and does the job the right way (the day and to STEP UP and SPEAK UP
America we have made positive gravely injured and on life support
and we shared a relieved offline meetups tend to pick us
use tends to bring us down, and
unit ask your Sgt, as the Commanders
have a received a directive from trashed, ridiculed, painted with a is wrong. We owe it to this genera-
99%) will pay dearly. We will be when we know what’s happening
strides toward social change,
however, there is always room laugh about this. Social media as up.
the Chief that anyone who wants to broad brush, and every other cliché tion of police officers and the next.
for growth. The danger arises
when any individual uses fake news to continue to encoursearchers
published a long-term
allowed to do so.
surable damage to our profession support we have in the Houston
well as news outlets often share In January, Johns Hopkins re-
ride as a two-officer unit, will be you can imagine. It can do immea-
We are beyond blessed to have the
a broad brush to paint all in a age chaos and drama. It keeps
The two examples of being your and our relationship with the community.
community, and we cannot afford
group as guilty of the same be-
people interested and pushes
Continued on Page 48
brother’s and sister’s keeper are
One that will take years to to lose it.
46 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 47