Lt. Ed Cunanan

police & fire
OP ED: What Most of Us 'Good Cops' Are Thinking Right Now
https://patch.com/rhode-island/woonsocket/op-ed-what-most-us-good-cops-are-thinking-right-now
"I am listening to the voices of our people who are crying out that something is wrong," writes Lt. Ed Cunanan of Woonsocket police.
By Mark Schieldrop, Patch Staff | Jul 8, 2016 10:56 pm ET | Updated Jul 9, 2016 12:52 am ET
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OP ED: What Most of Us 'Good Cops' Are Thinking Right Now

By Lt. Ed Cunanan
Woonsocket Police Department

Friends, I have been asked several times for answers, and while I don't claim to know everything, I do have some thoughts.

I have been a police officer for more than 25 years, both with a 100-officer department and with an agency over 3,000 strong. The communities that I have patrolled were urban and economically challenged. In Florida, I had the experience of working in an all-black community for five years, and being far different from the community I was raised in I was able to learn a lot about culture and diversity.

I have been in fear for my life; been in countless altercations; I have been on the bottom in a fight; I have had my gun grabbed; I have broken bones; I have lost blood; I have been spit on and cursed at; and I have been needlessly challenged more times than anyone should ever have to. I have been called racist names because my eyes are different and I have been called a racist simply because I wore a badge and had a job to do. I have been in several situations where I would have been justified in using deadly force according to the objective reasonableness standard set in Graham, but chose not to (and I'm thankful). I have lost three friends in the line of duty—people who stood beside me at roll call and had my back. You decide if my platform to comment is solid.

Despite all these contacts and experiences, I have not shot anyone or at anyone or used any other form of deadly force in my career. I have never used force that was excessive according to Graham, but I am sure that had some of my fights been recorded some would have wrongly accused me of such. I have never arrested or stopped anyone on the basis of skin color. I am well aware of the concept of implicit bias, and I am 100% sure that I am not guilty there as well.

If you're friends with me, then I hope you trust me. I am telling you with absolutely surety that based on my experience and interaction with thousands of officers in my career, the overwhelming majority of cops are just… like… me…. It's not "not all cops are bad;" it's most cops are good.

There are bad cops, period. And it is often too difficult to get rid of them. Of course, sometimes good cops make mistakes in the millisecond they have to decide and act, and sometimes those mistakes have tragic consequences. But to suggest that the majority of police officers in this country are racist, out of control, and all the other terrible things people are charging is just not true, and it's a narrative that is recklessly feeding attacks on police officers, culminating in Dallas.

Consider that less than 2% of the 40-60 million contacts per year with civilians end in a use of force—and half of those are verbal threats. This fact has been established for more than a decade from public contact surveys—not from information submitted by the police. This use of force ratio has also been supported by academics. How this use of force breaks down along racial lines is a valid question that needs to be answered. There is also at least one study I know that showed 70% of police officers have been faced with a deadly force situation and chose not to use it--like me. Contrast that with what you have been told (and some of you have said). In the atmosphere of this country right now, I fear that this number will go up and that will no doubt result in dead police officers who were afraid to act when it was appropriate.

I am listening to the voices of our people who are crying out that something is wrong. I wholeheartedly agree with some of the things that are being said: police departments need diversity—some need it badly; the justice system needs reform; we need more training in ethics; and we need more effective means of weeding out those cops who cannot handle the tremendous responsibility that comes with carrying a shield. I, like many others, am working hard to address these issues.

At the same time I am calling for our people to stop putting police officers on the face of society's failures. Instead of demonizing all of law enforcement based on the actions of a small percent of bad cops, let's address those factors that bring police officers and minorities—especially young black males—into volatile contact with each other. I believe that there is institutional discrimination in our country and the lack of legitimate opportunity and quality education feeds this problem. I take issue with companies that don't invest in minority communities because the profit margin isn't as good as they want. But I am also calling out for personal responsibility and better parenting. Here's where I take issue with a lot of police critics and BLM: we cannot excuse lawlessness for any reason, however legitimate, and there is absolutely no justification for resisting arrest and fighting with those who our society tasks with enforcing our laws. At the root of most bad events is someone who is doing just that. The street is no place for a trial.

I have not said this publicly yet, but I am going to appear at the White House next week to discuss the final report from the President's 21st Century Policing Task Force with WH staff. Putting politics aside, this is a great honor to have been referred to and accepted, and this once-in-a-lifetime experience for me will be a highlight in my long career. I suggest you look at the TF final report; I agree with some recommendations, I disagree with some recommendations, and I have questions about others. But as always, I am open to listening to other ideas and honest discussion; I hope you are too.

I don't know where we are going in this country right now. It's disturbing for sure. I am hopeful that among the chaos leaders will emerge with clear direction. But the one thing I do trust is the overwhelming number of men and women in law enforcement who are just like me. I ask you to do the same.

All together, we make this better.