"My fellow brothers and sisters in blue, what the hell are you doing?" Op-ed by Representative Val Demings.
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| Representative Val Demings |
Val Demings, now a member of Congress, was a highly respected Orlando City Chief of Police before that. She served OPD 27 years, the last four
as Chief. She was credited with reducing
violent crime rates in Orlando, with a 43.6 percent drop in violent crime from
2007 to 2011, according to FBI reports. She would be my personal choice for Vice President on the Democratic ticket. She is wise and experienced. I would consider it extremely unlikely that any member of Congress has a closer, more personal perspective on the issue. What she says here is simply fact.)
“As a former woman in blue, let me begin with my brothers and sisters in blue: What in the hell are you doing?
“I joined the Orlando Police Department when I was 26 years old — a young black woman, fresh out of an early career in social work. I am sure you can imagine the mental and physical stress of the police academy. Not only exams and physical training, but the daily thoughts of, “What am I doing here?” as I looked around and did not see many people who looked like me.
“But I made it. I was elected class president and received the Board of Trustees’ Award for overall excellence. I proudly took an oath to the Constitution and to protect and serve. I was on my way to fulfill my dream of “saving the world.” Of course, I went straight to the midnight shift, but I loved the job. I truly felt like I was serving my community, responding to calls from people in distress.
“When citizens were in trouble (if they had to call the police, they weren’t having a good day), they called really believing that when we arrived, things would get better. That they would be safe. But we are painfully reminded that all too often, things do not get better. As a matter of fact, they can get much worse — with deadly results.
“When an officer engages in stupid, heartless and reckless behavior, their actions can either take a life or change a life forever. Bad decisions can bring irrevocable harm to the profession and tear down the relationships and trust between the police and the communities they serve. Remember, law enforcement needs that trust just as the public does. Think before you act! Remember, your most powerful weapon is the brain the good Lord gave you. Use it!
“We all know that the level of force must meet the level of resistance. We all can see that there was absolutely zero resistance from George Floyd. He posed no threat to anyone, especially law enforcement.
“Why do bad things happen? Bad minds, bad hearts or bad policy? The painful cries of Eric Garner will be with us forever. Now, George Floyd’s pleas for help will, too. I cannot begin to understand how any officer could ignore the painful pleas we heard from Floyd — or from anyone suffering.
“My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost loved ones. But we must also offer justice through full and swift accountability — not just for their loved one, but for the future.
“In Minnesota, we have no choice but to hold the officers accountable through the criminal-justice system. But we cannot only be reactive. We must be proactive. We must work with law enforcement agencies to identify problems before they happen.
“As a nation, we must conduct a serious review of hiring standards and practices, diversity, training, use-of-force policies, pay and benefits (remember, you get what you pay for), early warning programs, and recruit training programs. Remember, officers who train police recruits are setting the standard for what is acceptable and unacceptable on the street.
“Law enforcement officers are granted remarkable power and authority. They are often placed in complicated and dangerous situations. They respond to calls from people with their own biases and motives. In New York, we’ve recently seen the past pains of the Central Park Five dredged up in a new attempt to misuse law enforcement against an African American man. When you see people differently, you treat them differently. And when power is in the mix, tragedy can result.
“As law enforcement officers, we took an oath to protect and serve. Those who forgot — or who never understood that oath in the first place — must go. That includes those who would stand by as they witness misconduct by a fellow officer.
“Everyone wants to live in safer communities and to support law enforcement and the tough job they do every day. But this can’t go on. The senseless deaths of America’s sons and daughters — particularly African American men — is a stain on our country. Let’s work to remove it.”
Me again:
As a testimony to the regard in which this lady was, and is, held in Orlando, although she is a Democrat, some staunchly Republican friends of mine in law enforcement held a fund raiser for her. She first ran for Congress in a gerrymandered Republican district, losing narrowly against an incumbent good old boy. After the courts decided that district was too gerrymandered, even for Florida, and ordered redistricting, she ran again, garnering 65% of the vote. Her second term election was a walk over, as she was unopposed!
Val Demings is the epitome of a self-made person who has risen through her own merit. Her husband, Jerry, has a similar story, having also served the community first as Orange County Sheriff and now as Orange County mayor. This op-ed is not the usual personal opinion of someone looking from the sidelines, but the observations of someone who has been here, done that, and done it superbly. We should listen.
“As a former woman in blue, let me begin with my brothers and sisters in blue: What in the hell are you doing?
“I joined the Orlando Police Department when I was 26 years old — a young black woman, fresh out of an early career in social work. I am sure you can imagine the mental and physical stress of the police academy. Not only exams and physical training, but the daily thoughts of, “What am I doing here?” as I looked around and did not see many people who looked like me.
“But I made it. I was elected class president and received the Board of Trustees’ Award for overall excellence. I proudly took an oath to the Constitution and to protect and serve. I was on my way to fulfill my dream of “saving the world.” Of course, I went straight to the midnight shift, but I loved the job. I truly felt like I was serving my community, responding to calls from people in distress.
“When citizens were in trouble (if they had to call the police, they weren’t having a good day), they called really believing that when we arrived, things would get better. That they would be safe. But we are painfully reminded that all too often, things do not get better. As a matter of fact, they can get much worse — with deadly results.
“When an officer engages in stupid, heartless and reckless behavior, their actions can either take a life or change a life forever. Bad decisions can bring irrevocable harm to the profession and tear down the relationships and trust between the police and the communities they serve. Remember, law enforcement needs that trust just as the public does. Think before you act! Remember, your most powerful weapon is the brain the good Lord gave you. Use it!
“We all know that the level of force must meet the level of resistance. We all can see that there was absolutely zero resistance from George Floyd. He posed no threat to anyone, especially law enforcement.
“Why do bad things happen? Bad minds, bad hearts or bad policy? The painful cries of Eric Garner will be with us forever. Now, George Floyd’s pleas for help will, too. I cannot begin to understand how any officer could ignore the painful pleas we heard from Floyd — or from anyone suffering.
“My heart goes out to the families of those who have lost loved ones. But we must also offer justice through full and swift accountability — not just for their loved one, but for the future.
“In Minnesota, we have no choice but to hold the officers accountable through the criminal-justice system. But we cannot only be reactive. We must be proactive. We must work with law enforcement agencies to identify problems before they happen.
“As a nation, we must conduct a serious review of hiring standards and practices, diversity, training, use-of-force policies, pay and benefits (remember, you get what you pay for), early warning programs, and recruit training programs. Remember, officers who train police recruits are setting the standard for what is acceptable and unacceptable on the street.
“Law enforcement officers are granted remarkable power and authority. They are often placed in complicated and dangerous situations. They respond to calls from people with their own biases and motives. In New York, we’ve recently seen the past pains of the Central Park Five dredged up in a new attempt to misuse law enforcement against an African American man. When you see people differently, you treat them differently. And when power is in the mix, tragedy can result.
“As law enforcement officers, we took an oath to protect and serve. Those who forgot — or who never understood that oath in the first place — must go. That includes those who would stand by as they witness misconduct by a fellow officer.
“Everyone wants to live in safer communities and to support law enforcement and the tough job they do every day. But this can’t go on. The senseless deaths of America’s sons and daughters — particularly African American men — is a stain on our country. Let’s work to remove it.”
Me again:
As a testimony to the regard in which this lady was, and is, held in Orlando, although she is a Democrat, some staunchly Republican friends of mine in law enforcement held a fund raiser for her. She first ran for Congress in a gerrymandered Republican district, losing narrowly against an incumbent good old boy. After the courts decided that district was too gerrymandered, even for Florida, and ordered redistricting, she ran again, garnering 65% of the vote. Her second term election was a walk over, as she was unopposed!
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| Orlando Police Chief Val Demings 2007-2011 |
Val Demings is the epitome of a self-made person who has risen through her own merit. Her husband, Jerry, has a similar story, having also served the community first as Orange County Sheriff and now as Orange County mayor. This op-ed is not the usual personal opinion of someone looking from the sidelines, but the observations of someone who has been here, done that, and done it superbly. We should listen.
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