16 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: OCTOBER 2017 American Police Beat Chairman & Publisher: Cynthia Brown Chief Executive Officer: Sarah Vallee Editor-in-Chief: Mark Nichols Advertising Sales: Dave Quimby Digital Manager: Jeremy Lange Office Assistant: Brendan O’Brien Designer: Karin Henderson OPINION/EDITORIAL There are many reactions to President Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but for the most part they can be categorized as positive and nega- tive. For people whose number one issue is illegal immigration, the pardon represents a “law and order” president backing a like- minded political supporter who many feel was unfairly treated by the criminal justice system. This group can be described as the “what part of illegal don’t you understand?” crowd. On the other side there are those that say the pardon does not represent law and order but the very opposite. This group believes that it’s highly unlikely a judge would have sent Arpaio to jail for six months and that the unusual pardon is basically a dog whistle letting county sheriffs know that the president, who is clearly about as much of a fan of the judiciary as many police officers, will “have their backs” should they face any difficulties from the judges. One thing the president and the sheriff have in common is that they tend to gener- ate extreme reactions – both positive and negative. There’s no point in re-hashing the troubled history of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office during Joe’s tenure there. That ground has been covered. Although people unfamiliar with Arpaio’s patterns and practices are getting a crash course currently with bullet points about staged assassination plots, puppy deaths and the remarkable number of lawsuits generating an even more remarkable number of payouts. It’s probably more useful to think about this in terms of what “law and order” means to different people. The federal jury that recently dismissed all charges against four individuals that staged armed protests at the Bundy Ranch in 2014 probably have a different idea about what law and order should look like than federal law enforcement professionals who were trying to maintain order and keep people safe. The point is that some people believe that “law and order” requires an understanding that disobeying a federal court order is a vio- lation of the rule of law, as was determined in Sheriff Joe’s case. Others say the judge’s order was “illegal” and Sheriff Joe was right to break the law because he was only trying to uphold it and do the work that the federal government can’t or won’t do. The really interesting part will be to see if more law enforcement leaders will start bucking the courts because they believe the president will back them instead of the courts. Outlaw or lawman? Being fully prepared to save It seems like no one agrees on anything anymore, but thankfully there are still a few things where most reasonable people land on the same page. CPR training for police officers is one of them. In New York, state lawmakers have passed legislation requiring that all first responders must learn CPR and get certification. While there will likely be some challenges about who pays for the training, it’s hard to imagine much resistance to the notion that cops should know how to save lives. Many young officers probably fantasize about what some refer to as “Hollywood save” scenarios. These would be things like rappelling off the side of buildings and taking down an armed kidnapper with a single shot before he knew what hit him. The odds of that happening are likely in the tens of millions to one. Far more likely are the chances an officer will respond to a noise complaint at a pool party and arrive on the scene to find an unconscious kid and frantic grownups screaming “Does anyone know CPR?!!!!!” In the debate about whether cops should be “hunters or helpers,” people have all kinds of opinions. But the idea that cops should have every tool they need to save lives is pretty basic common sense. Some officers have complained that learn- ing how to save a human life with CPR training involves time that could be better spent at the shooting range. But others say that the idea that CPR certification isn’t a standard requirement for law enforcement officers nationwide is pretty shocking if not revealing in terms of the difference between the job description and the reality on the ground. Boy Scouts looking for a merit badge have to learn CPR. So does any teenager that wants to work as a lifeguard at the local pool. It seems obvious cops should have those skills as well. Make a difference Each day you live Open your heart Learn to give Life for many Is so unkind Giving people Are hard to find So open your heart Give what you can We’re all responsible For our fellow man It’s so easy to look The other way But the tables could turn On any given day So help if you can For one day you may be The one who’s down and out The one no one will see – Ray Hansell A Helping Hand