To Protect and Serve

As we morn the death of Santa Cruz County Sgt Gutzwillier and pray for the recovery of Deputy Spencer, it should be pointed out that they are representative of over 99% of Peace Officers in this country that strive only to protect and serve their communities and it can be a very dangerous job. In 2015 President Obama stated, “Too often, law enforcement gets scapegoated for the broader failures of our society and criminal justice system,” and truer words are never been spoken. As a retired police supervisor I was constantly amazed by the professionalism and self policing that occurred among the ranks of the departments I worked for. Obviously there are exceptions, but one need look elsewhere when looking for systemic racism and hatred. To again quote President Obama, “I reject any narrative that seeks to divide police and communities they serve — that frames any discussion of public safety around ‘us’ and ‘them,'”