Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2016 17 J ust the mention of In- ternal Affairs sometimes sends a negative conno- tation to law enforcement officers. Why is this, when the ma- jority of dedicated officers work diligently following their department’s rules and regulations. I once read a post stating that IA should be disbanded, not because it was corrupt or untrustworthy, but because it was out to thwart the ef- forts of officers to reduce crime “at all cost.” This is akin to those who argue patrol officers should not be allowed to operate a speed radar device around curves, under bridges, or for that matter at all. Imagine for a moment if there were no speed enforcement, motor vehicle crashes along with serious injuries and fatalities would surely increase. Now imagine if there were no Internal Affairs. Need I say more? Historically, officers as- signed to IA have been viewed as those who could not be trusted to defend their fellow officers in times of need. What is most often misun- derstood is that IA personnel are simply fact finders, not adjudicators; a separation of duties, you might say. As every police officer learns from day one in the academy, a case must be built on solid evidence. If an officer’s actions are found to be outside the department’s established rules and regula- tions, there must be conse- quences. If this were not the case, the entire department could face immense scrutiny which could not only lead to mis- trust and suspicion, but po- tential disconnect from the very people they are sworn to serve and protect. As one looks at the events around the country today, and particularly those in- volving civil rights, officers should understand their actions must be in line with constitutional guarantees as well as their agencies’ poli- cies and procedures. In the end, it will be left up to others, outside of law enforcement, to make a decision about whether the officer’s actions were cor- rect, within guidelines, and more importantly, without malice. Today’s officers must un- derstand that their actions are more scrutinized than ever. In most cases their actions create footsteps, whether it’s on cameras, computers, or online that may reveal the truth and that the answer is yes, even though the officer says no. Too often officers feel justi- fied in their actions because they had the authority to do so, when the real question they should be asking is, “Just because I can, should I?” Michael Pavone is an Executive Board Member of the National Internal Affairs Investigators Association (www.niaia.us) and a retired officer with the Mas- sachusetts State Police. He can be reached at: Mike0202@aol. com. N ot that long ago,aMissouri couple who had been on a multi-state crime spree that included kidnappings and robber- ies was finally stopped in Florida after a shootout with police. The national press, which referred to them as a mod- ern-day Bonnie and Clyde, covered the manhunt, which resulted in the death of Blake Fitzgerald and the hospitalization of Brittany Harper. We probably won’t hear much more about her again and, other than the initial acknowledgment of law enforcement’s efforts, little more will be reported na- tionally about the bravery of the deputies and officers involved. This real-life drama that pitted the good against the bad is oftentimes synony- mous with what society as- sociates with police work. Since childhood, when little boys play cops and rob- bers and point their fingers at each other as they shoot it out, we have come to simpli- fy a cop’s work as periodic shoot-outs interspersed with car chases. In reality, most officers will never fire their weapons in the line of duty. But not having to shoot a gun doesn’t provide a full picture of all the other dan- gers and stresses of police work that officers will expe- rience throughout a career. They will deal with physi- cal assaults against them, some of which result in per- manent injuries or disfigure- ment. They will be exposed to infectious diseases with little or no protection after exposure to people who are bleeding or passing fluids after as car crashes or while wrestling with suspects re- sisting arrest. They will come face to face with the most evil hu- man beings alive and still be required to protect their rights. They will unknowingly enter homes with meth labs while executing search war- rants and respond to disas- ters where dangerous chemi- cal fumes, often invisible, are present which could melt their lungs and end their lives. They will routinely wit- ness horrific scenes of suf- fering that will scorch their psyches and too many will silently cope with post-trau- matic stress disorder from witnessing the worst man has to offer. Many of our cops will work rotating shifts including midnights to early morining where exhaustion will press against them, yet they will still be expected to operate their police cars without error and make sudden de- cisions involving the use of force. But despite all the nega- tives they encounter, we can still count on them to serve and protect. When we call for them, they will show up in our time of need. They may not even like us personally, but will still risk their lives in our defense. They will search out trou- ble so we can breathe easier, and they will use their intel- lect and energy to capture those who harm us. They will provide atten- tion to our roadways so we can travel on them safely. of getting struck by passing cars. At the same time they may have to pay a price when making traffic stops that expose them to danger- ous people or serious risks. They will mediate our neighborhood disputes and work hand in hand with the public to prevent crime before it happens. They will teach our chil- dren how to cross the street and warn them about drugs and caution them about the dangers of the Internet. They will wear many hats including psychologist, social worker, educator, me- diator, guidance counselor and law enforcer. There isn’t enough space to talk about all the work our modern-day police of- ficer does but suffice to say, they are much more than the isolated incidents of heroism that we occasionally read about. They are men and women who are committed to mak- ing our neighborhoods safe places to live and thrive. And appreciating that is a type of thanks they should but don’t often get. Tom Wetzel is a lieutenant in a suburb of Cleveland and an adjunct professor at Lakeland Community College. Let’s appreciate officers for all they do “Did you just ask me where the fire is? I’m guessing you didn’t watch too much television as a kid. Ever heard of Smokey the Bear? No, I don’t have any marijuana in the vehicle!” Internal Affairs: We seek out the facts MICHAEL PAVONE TOM WETZEL OPINION/EDITORIAL