The Thin Blue Line

By RU Contributor Antonio Aguilar

What is the thin blue line? Until 2009, I had no clue. I had a typical view of law enforcement. Police were a necessary part of society and we needed them, but as a teen I wasn’t such a fan (I still watched Cops though). In my early twenties I saw a magazine for law enforcement gear and the cover had a picture of cops with assault rifles. Why do they need those? They’re just dealing with gang bangers who shoot sideways. Maybe our society is becoming too militaristic… Then, in 2009, I became a cop and had my eyes opened. I was so blind my entire life.

Over the last decade more than one hundred officers have died every year. Working with preliminary statistics for 2012, there have been 1,688 officers killed in the U.S. since 2002, more than two per week. Not all of those are from hostile fire, but a death is still a death. It doesn’t matter if an officer (or deputy) is gunned down by a suspect or hit by a drunk driver, it’s still an officer down.

Now will you hear this story in the media? Unlikely. It might show up as a passing statistic on the evening news but more likely you’ll hear things like the headline that was on Fox News last week, “Texas roadside body cavity search case to go to grand jury”. I like Fox News but sensationalist headlines like that can’t be excused. Every other time you turn on the news there are articles like this, highlighting alleged misconduct by Police. I say alleged because, believe it or not, police officers are still humans and American citizens and are still entitled to the same protection under the law; that they are innocent until proven guilty. I watched the video the same as the rest of the world did and didn’t see a “cavity search”. I saw a female officer check the underclothes of a female suspect. That’s not the same as a body cavity search, yet that was the headline used by the news. The news commentators went on to talk about frisks and searches, and didn’t realize that there is a difference between the two. It was all about pandering to sensationalism, to the point that they were actually lying on TV about already established case law.

A Google search for “brutality against police” turns up results for “police brutality” instead; about 13,300,000 to be exact. There are hundreds of web sites, if not more, dedicated to exposing supposed crooked cops. Apple and Android sell apps to help people record police or avoid police. Many of the cases of alleged brutality presented have turned out to be exaggerations, cases where the police were found to be justified in their actions, yet the media and society both continue to demonize them anyway. In the case mentioned above, if the troopers are found to be justified in their actions, do you think Fox News will run a headline about that and apologize for their sensationalist wording? It’s highly unlikely.

Now don’t get me wrong. Police are humans like everyone else, capable of doing wrong or making honest mistakes both. But, if we can afford other people the benefit of the doubt then why doesn’t the media and the public do the same for police (or soldiers for that matter)? Anyone who carries a gun with any level of governmental authority behind them is a target for some people. Some people, like the sovereign citizen movement, take it to the level of violence. Drug dealing thugs will gun for police without a second thought. Others, like the media, just make money off of sensational headlines: “body cavity search”, “Haditha Massacre”, and such. On a side note, even when searching YouTube for “sovereign citizen shooting”, I got results there for alleged police brutality toward sovereign citizens.

Even our politicians and celebrities get in on the hate. How many hip hop “artists” (a loosely applied term, I think) make a living off of bashing police? The term “fuck the police” comes from a song written by a guy who is now playing a cop on TV. Now if that isn’t irony I don’t know what is. Our president and a certain congressman have both express a dislike of police on the national stage. Indiana passed legislation recently giving people the “right to resist” if they believe they are being arrested unlawfully or searched illegally. The law stated that if the arrest or search was found after the fact to be lawful that there was no protection for the criminal, but how many criminals really believe they deserve to go to jail? Many will fight back no matter what. A better law would be stronger penalties for law enforcement who make unlawful arrests but in the eyes of the Indiana legislature they needed to instead empower criminals and give them some legal grounds to stand on against resisting charges. If they “reasonably” believed they were being arrested or search unlawfully, even if it was indeed lawful, a jury could easily acquit them. In Colorado police have pushed for a “legal limit” with marijuana DWIs but politicians have refused to create one, pandering to the popular sentiment that legalized marijuana in that state while tying the hands of those tasked to keep the roads clear of impaired drivers.

The thin blue line is the idea that police form a thin blue line between social order and chaos. Every time an officer dies that line gets a little thinner. I’ve seen countless incidents of courage by officers, over and over again, risking themselves for others, for people they do not even know. They range from running into a smoke filled house to facing down violent criminals. Not a singe one of these incidents that I have seen has ever made it on TV. The military at least gets a small amount of recognition for their courage. Most people in America now recognize soldiers as heroic figures, though there are some left over hippies and politicians out there still who voice their hate of the military every chance they get. When it comes to police though, our society hasn’t come that far yet. On any given weekend there is an act of extraordinary courage by police in every state, every major city. Even smaller cities and towns have it happen all the time but you will almost never, ever see a story about a hero cop. And yet, in spite of that, police will still get up every day, put on their uniforms, and the vast majority of them will go out there and do their jobs over and over again with honor and courage.

The reason for that dedication is simple; it’s very similar to the same reason that soldiers put on their uniforms and show up to formation to deploy to a nasty part of the world. Most who choose to put on uniforms do so for a higher purpose, for a higher calling. Not all government employees are greedy leaches living off the tax payer dollar. Some do it out of a recognition that there are evil people in the world and that someone has to stand against them. They feel a calling to be that person who stands up, George Orwell’s “rough” man so to speak. They are a deterrent to crime (yes, even when writing tickets in speed zones created out of citizen complaints), they are the ones who hunt the things that go bump in the night, the ones who check your back yard in the dark for that odd sound you heard or the ones who face off with an armed robber as well. They run into bar fights to stop the violence and walk into blood crime scenes with a strong stomach. They face the things that no one else wants to, knowing full well that they will be second guessed nonstop afterward by the media, the politicians, and the public. There is a fine line between order and chaos, and just as the military is that line between peace and America and the violence in the rest of the world, law enforcement is that line between the evil in our own society and the rest of us who want to live peaceful lives in our own country.

17 Comments

1. 

   greek chorus

   January 3, 2013 at 10:09 pm

   Thank you, very much, for choosing to be a guardian, as Heinlein put it, a sheepdog. In spite of the unrelenting disparagement we voice and/or allow to be voiced in front of us, you serve the ideals of America, from which we personally benefit. Some of us rise to the challenge, but far too many of us don’t bother to try. This is what we have failed to teach our children and it’s our fault: treat the 1st Amendment like it’s made of gold, make our speech count, make it inspire and uplift. Too much of it, especially by the 4th Estate, which enjoys special protection no less, instead destroys the very house that shields it. Please, watch your six.

   Reply
2. 

   Mark G

   January 4, 2013 at 12:54 pm

   “Fuck Tha Police” was written by N.W.A., which included Ice Cube.

   When you mention the rapper that plays a cop on TV, are you perhaps think of Ice T in Law and Order:SVU and the song “Cop Killer”, performed by his group Body Count?

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop_Killer_(song)

   Reply
   • 

     Antonio Aguilar

     January 4, 2013 at 9:20 pm

     Thanks for correcting me on that.

     Reply
     • 

       Mark G

       January 10, 2013 at 10:07 am

       I knew you’d be excited to know

       Good article. As a Brit the few times I’ve been in the USA the police have always been polite and professional.

       This includes when I had a summer job selling door to door as a student and got my collar felt for soliciting..

       Reply
3. 

   L. Toporek

   January 8, 2013 at 10:29 am

   From another cop, thank you for writing that! Be safe my brother in blue!

   Reply
4. 

   Michael C

   January 8, 2013 at 11:00 am

   I was a MP in the Marines. I have countless buddies that went on to be police officers across the country. I do not have and never will have anything against police.

   That being said, I think many people see the militarization and seeming increase in wrongful No-Knock warrants where some innocent guy gets killed as a huge step over a line.

   Add to that the increase in home invasions and even home invaders dressing up like police and there is a huge WTF moment.

   I am a law abiding citizen. I do not break any laws and even have a clearance. If someone kicks in my door at 0200, they will be fired upon until the threat is over.

   Other than that, be safe and thank you for what you do.

   Reply
   • 

     Dave

     January 8, 2013 at 12:43 pm

     WTF??? I whole-heartedly support a person’s right to defend themselves and their family or hell even the guy you don’t know, who is being robbed. But as it is said in the article, police officers are human and we make mistakes. I personally have never hit the wrong house on a search warrant, but I know cops that have. Mistakes happen. At what point did civil or criminal courts for the mistakes or abuses of police officers become a less speaking option than killing the police who entered your house by mistake? As a law abiding citizen, your best option is to obey the orders of the police and if it was a mistake, deal with it later. It makes absolutely no sense to me to risk the lives of my family and loved ones by shooting at police, because a mistake was made. With that said I would be livid if it was my house that was hit by mistake or if I hit the wrong house by mistake on a warrant service. As a society we need to believe in or cops and reward the ones who are out there doing out right, but realize mistakes do happen. Better training for our officers including legal and prosecutor updates is or best option right now and I would venture to say for ever. Mistakes happen and at no point is killing a police officer who made a mistake or who you believe made a mistake ok.

     Reply
     • 

       Michael C

       January 8, 2013 at 2:57 pm

       You completely misunderstood or didnt read my whole comment. There are too many stories of criminals dressing as police and other home invasion tactics for me to give someone kicking my door at 2am the chance. There is no reason for anyone to kick my door and if it happens, I am not going to wait until they start raping my wife before I say “oh, I guess those arent police. Hmm, that sux”.

       I would never intentionally fire on police but if you are answering truthfully, How would you react if you are the only thing between your wife and kids and someone kicking in your door that may want to rape/murder them?? Truthfully, I am shooting and if it happens to be police, I hope that God will understand when I stand before his gates.

       Reply
   • 

     Joe

     January 8, 2013 at 1:06 pm

     I got your back bro. In the event of doors comming off the hinges and flashbangs , I will fire back with vigor until the opposing force is neutralized. And if its at your house first, I will oppose all from OP#2.
     Brother in arms out.

     Reply
5. 

   Ken

   January 8, 2013 at 11:42 am

   Good article, but I only have one disagreement: Fox News might not be perfect, but they are better than most of the mainstream media out there. Look at their personnel listing on their website, and you will see names from the left and right. TV and newspapers are staffed by almost all lefties, so their stories are mostly biased.
   The 2nd amendment is being attacked like never before, and the media is the agenda driven point man. The only pro-2nd coverage I’ve seen has been on Fox News.

   Thanks!

   Reply
6. 

   Combat vet

   January 8, 2013 at 12:52 pm

   Dear Author,
   I don’t have much time to write, wish I did, however here goes. I certainly respect your point of view and find you to be inteligent and well spoken. Having read your articles and post replies. My oppinion, for what its worth, is that you don’t have enough time on the force yet to see that your just one minor incident away from being unjustly, immorally, unreasonably accused of something in that “exigent circumstance” that you did not do. You will find that EVERYONE you thought had your back, will turn on you. You will be the center of a so called “full investigation”. Enough on that , I could write a book on that.

   As for the Drone postings,
   Just to put this on the record before I begin. I am a former US Army combat vet, a former Deputy Sheriff and a former police officer. I am also a certified SUAV / UAV pilot.
   Now when you make a flyover of anywhere (ie, a house or a farm or field, anywhere) even if the mission is search and rescue. You have the belief being law enforcement, that when you stumble on a violation of the law, however small, you should act on such. Now you seem to think morrally, however not all do. So when you fly over a house and see someone burning leaves without a permit , do you now call th FD and have them check to see if said permit is in place. How about the back yard mechanic who fixes friends cars for a few extra bucks. You intend to fly somewhere else, but you see this on the way. Someone in your Dept will call the building inspector and the zonning board. Here’s one more, your up flying just doing trainning. You go over a house and in the back yard you see a bike that matches your last “hot sheet”. Even though you have no prob cause to reasonably think that this is the same bike. (ie. Past crim history, incidents, or proximity) They did make thousands of these bikes , right ? Guess what……..you dont think that far ahead, you send a Cop over to walk in that back yard and check the serial number, YOU KNOW, in the interest of the safety and security of the public and the reporting victim. The privacy of this one person in these cases surely can’t out weigh the public right ? I speak from personal knowledge on this.

   One last comment,
   With all this gun controll issues, I would like to point out the following; Firstly in the event of a full out confiscation of ” PISTOL gripped or assault weapons”. How do you do it ? Do you send one patrol officer to known gun owners houses and knock on the door and politely ask for all the banned weapons in the house. Or (the more likely option) go door to door with a fully armored bear cat or grizzly , whith the same weapons in hand that you intend to confiscate, forcefully demand the guns and face criminal charges, with jail, do not pass go. My dear police officer, there will come a time when you will find your friends name, brother in blue’s name, or your name on that list and then have to use force options to confiscate your own weapons. The constitution was authored by a group to ensure checks and ballances, further, to ultimately ensure the protection of the people against a tyrannical government. Remember , thats why we fled the old word kings in the first place.

   Good day to all. I hope you had a happy holidays.
   Your friend, the guy next door.

   Reply
7. 

   Combat vet

   January 8, 2013 at 12:58 pm

   Dear Author,
   I don’t have much time to write, wish I did, however here goes. I certainly respect your point of view and find you to be inteligent and well spoken. Having read your articles and post replies. My oppinion, for what its worth, is that you don’t have enough time on the force yet to see that your just one minor incident away from being unjustly, immorally, unreasonably accused of something in that “exigent circumstance” that you did not do. You will find that EVERYONE you thought had your back, will turn on you. You will be the center of a so called “full investigation”. Enough on that , I could write a book on that. O

   As for the Drone postings,
   Just to put this on the record before I begin. I am a former US Army combat vet, a former Deputy Sheriff and a former police officer. I am also a certified SUAV / UAV pilot.
   Now when you make a flyover of anywhere (ie, a house or a farm or field, anywhere) even if the mission is search and rescue. You have the belief being law enforcement, that when you stumble on a violation of the law, however small, you should act on such. Now you seem to think morrally, however not all do. So when you fly over a house and see someone burning leaves without a permit , do you now call th FD and have them check to see if said permit is in place. How about the back yard mechanic who fixes friends cars for a few extra bucks. You intend to fly somewhere else, but you see this on the way. Someone in your Dept will call the building inspector and the zonning board. Here’s one more, your up flying just doing trainning. You go over a house and in the back yard you see a bike that matches your last “hot sheet”. Even though you have no prob cause to reasonably think that this is the same bike. (ie. Past crim history, incidents, or proximity) They did make thousands of these bikes , right ? Guess what……..you dont think that far ahead, you send a Cop over to walk in that back yard and check the serial number, YOU KNOW, in the interest of the safety and security of the public and the reporting victim. The privacy of this one person in these cases surely can’t out weigh the public right ? I speak from personal knowledge on this.

   One last comment,
   With all this gun controll issues, I would like to point out the following; Firstly in the event of a full out confiscation of ” PISTOL gripped or assault weapons”. How do you do it ? Do you send one patrol officer to known gun owners houses and knock on the door and politely ask for all the banned weapons in the house. Or (the more likely option) go door to door with a fully armored bear cat or grizzly , whith the same weapons in hand that you intend to confiscate, forcefully demand the guns and face criminal charges, with jail, do not pass go. My dear police officer, there will come a time when you will find your friends name, brother in blue’s name, or your name on that list and then have to use force options to confiscate your own weapons. The constitution was authored by a group to ensure checks and ballances, further, to ultimately ensure the protection of the people against a tyrannical government. Remember , thats why we fled the old word kings in the first place.

   Good day to all. I hope you had a happy holidays.
   Your friend, the guy next door.

   Reply
8. 

   Common Sense

   January 8, 2013 at 8:24 pm

   I’m sure you have the best intentions to help people, but not all cops do. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of cases of cops abusing their power. Fortunately, citizens now have the means of keeping cops honest, after the fact if nothing else. Here’s a very timely post of yet another incident:

   http://www.theblaze.com/stories/find-out-how-police-used-provision-in-healthcare-law-to-confiscate-mans-camera-and-charge-him-with-crimes/

   Cops are public officials on public streets and as such have no expectation of privacy yet they continue to intimidate people.

   If you need more examples, here’s a nice long list:

   http://reason.com/topics/civil-liberties

   No knock raids are unconstitutional and have resulted in a number of deaths and deaths to dogs as well. the militarization of the police is a related issue, mostly due to the failed “War on Drugs”. I sometimes think cops want to keep the “war” going just so they can play with all the cool toys that Homeland Security hands out like candy.

   What’s that phrase? When you need help in seconds, cops are minutes away? I hear very few stories of cops actually preventing a crime and lots of them getting there after the fact to clean up the mess. Only individuals can protect themselves and their families.

   The 2nd Amendment was written to keep the people safe from the government, the state, and the police ARE the state.

   Reply
9. 

   Rab

   January 9, 2013 at 10:15 pm

   Everyone has their own take, their own agenda, and their black, white and greay understanding of what happened. The impressions that law enforcement, would, could, or even agree with any douchebaggery in gun control is bs. A responsible and trained gun owner is an asset to their community and their sheep dogs. No knock warrants are intended for high risk felons, and many criteria have to be met before they are granted. If you’re not one, forget about it. The war on drugs hasn’t been truly funded for years, and like everyone else out there, most cops are grunts doing their mission with nothing. Antonio, I wish you may years of honorable career. I realize there is more than one message brought up here, but for me I got our of your piece just the same I felt for years, both in the service and out: sometimes you do what you do for the buddy to your left, and your right. You do what you know is right, the media, politics and opinions are out of the question.

   Reply
10. 

    old enough to remember

    January 19, 2013 at 6:42 pm

    It seems like you’re too young to remember how abusive many police departments used to be. Not just individual cops, entire departments from the top cop down to the street. Here’s a little taste of the history you are trying to live down.

    http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/we-remember-the-rodney-king-uprisings-and-the-historic-gang-truce-of-1992/

    Let’s not forget the videos of NYPD cuffing, then beating WOMEN who happened to be at OCCUPY protests last year. YouTube that.

    Reply
11. 

    normajean

    January 19, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    It seems like you’re too young to remember how abusive many police departments used to be. Not just individual cops, entire departments from the top cop down to the street. Here’s a little taste of the history you are trying to live down.

    http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/we-remember-the-rodney-king-uprisings-and-the-historic-gang-truce-of-1992/

    Let’s not forget the videos of NYPD cuffing, then beating WOMEN who happened to be at OCCUPY protests last year. YouTube that.

    Reply
12. 

    Rick

    January 29, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    The Indiana law isn’t about empowering criminals. It’s about empowering citizens. Putting into the law book that we have a right to defend ourselves, even against a cop, who is trying to hurt us or our family.

    Reply