MNGunTalk.com

I write this op-ed, or rant, under an assumed name. I do so because otherwise, I’m subject to being fired for violating department policy or, at the very least, suspended for a time and then transferred to the crappiest assignment they can think up for me. Not to mention I have a family to support.

I purged my Facebook friends and ultimately decided to deactivate the account because the temptation to educate someone after a few drinks can be too tempting — and not worth it in the long run. I created a Twitter account under my alternate identity to again protect myself.

What I was sold during police recruitment is not what I bought.

I’m a police officer in a major American city. Many of you reading this have seen a movie or TV show set in this city. Some of you have vacationed here. We have a big problem with poverty, unemployment, people scamming the welfare system, drugs, and violent crime.

Honestly, though, who I am and where I work isn’t important—what I stand for is. I show up every day I’m scheduled to work, on time, and I work. I don’t hang out at the station, I handle calls for service and I constantly back up other officers. I quickly progressed to different specialized units and, over time, even began to help out at the academy and became a Field Training Officer.

But after a couple of high-profile incidents where suspects wound up dead, we were essentially told to stop pursuing the bad guys: Too much liability for the city. So, if a violent felon who shot someone last week is spotted and you know it’s him? Depending on the ranking officer working, you’re most likely not going to be allowed to go get him.