Veteran Police Officers Explain Why Policing is Broken

Part 1 of a 3-part series on the current state of policing

Cops are still under fire, crime still has a hold on cities across the country, and police departments still grapple with staffing shortages. Policing is in crisis.

It’s not enough for you to hear me say this, however. Which is why I reached out to seasoned law enforcement professionals for their thoughts on the current state of policing.

Their informative responses are sobering, while also offering glimmers of hope for the future of policing. They provided me with so much valuable feedback, in fact, that I’ve created a three-part series of articles based on their responses. Parts two and three will offer a glimpse into the future of policing, as well as a look at what it will take to change this trajectory.

This first article is a deep-dive into the most pressing issues contributing to policing’s toxic landscape.

Part 2: Policing is Broken. Can it Be Fixed?

Part 3: How to Fix Policing: Veteran Police Officers Speak Out

First, Let’s Meet the Law Enforcement Professionals

Chief of Police (Ret.) Michael C. Koval, City of Madison (WI)

Chief Koval’s unflinching dedication to his cops and the community he served, and a deep respect for due process and the rule of law, are unsurpassed.

The Chief began his 37-year law enforcement career as a patrol officer for the Madison Police Department, taking off two years to work as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon his return to Madison and his beloved MPD, he went on to serve in a variety of roles - including as field training supervisor, recruitment and training sergeant, SWAT hostage negotiator, critical response team supervisor, and primary legal instructor.

During his tenure as chief of police, he instituted MPD’s dedicated mental health unit, which has since served as a model for other police departments. As a champion for community policing, he bridged gaps between cops and the citizenry and allowed us to understand the depth and complexities of what our officers do.

In fact, Chief Koval is the reason Steve and I got involved in police advocacy. No other police chief has ever come as close to inspiring the citizenry, and exemplifying what it means to be a true guardian and leader.

Sergeant Zeek Arkham

Zeek is a police sergeant with 15 years of service at a major city police department. Since he doesn’t publicly affiliate himself with any police department, I’ve omitted mention of it.

He’s also the host of Reasonable Suspicion, a podcast that centers on policing -topics have included defunding police and policing while black- and other contemporary issues.

Zeek is a fresh, reasoned, articulate, and steadfast voice and if you have a chance, I highly recommend giving him a follow on Twitter.

Dave and Betsy Smith

Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith is a 29-year veteran of a police department in the Chicago suburbs. She’s held varied positions, including in patrol, investigations, narcotics, hostage negotiation, crime prevention, and field training.

Betsy speaks at conferences and events throughout the United States and has written prolifically for publications like Police Marksman, Law and Order, Police Chief, Law Officer, and PoliceOne. She’s currently a media analyst and spokesman for the National Police Association.

Dave “JD Buck Savage” Smith is a former police lieutenant who’s held positions in patrol, SWAT, narcotics, and training & management. He’s a speaker, noted law enforcement trainer, and writer whose work has appeared in Police Chief, The Trainer, Police Marksman, the Calibre Press Newsline, PoliceOne, Officer.com, Law Officer, and POLICE magazine.

Betsy and Dave are two of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. You can also find them at Dave Smith & Associates.

What are the Biggest Issues Impacting Policing?

Though the following represents the most pressing problems facing law enforcement, this list is not exhaustive. Weak police leadership, internal conflicts, and officer suicides are also important topics that I’ll be covering in future posts.

Soft on crime policies

Stories of repeat offenders released on bail only to commit heinous crimes have become commonplace.

Cities like Chicago (my hometown), New York City, and my current city of Madison have all experienced a surge in crime, which can be attributed in large part, to “soft on crime” policies.

In NYC, serious crimes like homicide, robbery, rape, burglary, and car theft rose by nearly 40% this past January compared with the same period last year. Police officials have put the onus for this, in part, on state legislation from 2019 that eliminated cash bail and pre-trial detention for most non-violent felonies and misdemeanors.

The jaw-dropping list of “non-violent” crimes covered under this law includes offenses like stalking as a hate crime, criminal trespass, aggravated labor trafficking, sale of a controlled substance in or near a school, and various degrees of assault and robbery.

These policies not only exasperate police officers, but they send a message to offenders that they won’t be held accountable for their actions.

As I write this, the New York Assembly has passed temporary legislation allowing judges to set bail for a larger number of offenses and to make it easier to hold repeat offenders pre-trial. While it’s unfortunate that it takes tragedies to motivate legislators to do their jobs, this is also a sign that the pendulum has indeed begun to swing.

Zealous prosecutions of police officers

At the same time criminal offenders are being allowed to use the court as a revolving door, police officers have been put under the microscope. New York state, for example, has an entire prosecutorial unit focused exclusively on prosecuting cops.

Along with the failure of public officials to hold criminals accountable, the Smiths see the prosecution of police officers as one of law enforcement’s most pressing issues. There is an “obsession by certain elected officials to extract a ‘pound of flesh’ from law enforcement by prosecuting individual officers for any mistakes -perceived or real- that they made while doing their jobs.” 

We’ve seen this transpire, more notably, with the Kim Potter case. This past February, the Austin (Texas) district attorney indicted cops for past acts that had already been cleared by authorities.

Koval is also troubled by this trend. “Also worth noting is the increased pressure to expose officers to civil liability and the heightened scrutiny provided to those officers who make mistakes of judgment (under dire circumstances where seconds matter) and subjecting them to three ring circuses of press/prosecution/isolation (from their own departments).”

This has real-world implications for public safety. Cops who understandably fear retribution for making good-faith mistakes may feel less compelled to engage in proactive policing; or they may second-guess themselves in situations that require split-second decisions.

Feelings of Abandonment

Continually being referred to as a fascist or oppressor as few speak up to defend your honor can weigh on anyone’s psyche, including that of cops. They are, after all, human, and are subject to experiencing the same emotions as the rest of us do.

It’s not just the demonstrations, the chants, and social media attacks that affect cops, either. They feel abandoned by the judges who pass light sentences for heinous crimes; and the district attorneys willing to prosecute them for good faith mistakes while simultaneously allowing criminals to re-offend. They feel betrayed by self-promoting politicians who use them as pawns.

They see the media coverage, the pundits, and the armchair quarterbacks who often misrepresent who they are. “The media has to be more responsible in their reporting and elected officials have to decide whose side they’re on; the criminals’, or the law-abiding citizens’,” Arkham says.

Lack of support has impacted officer morale. “Crime fighters feel a sense of abandonment, or worse, they feel targeted by the very people and the system they swore an oath to protect and uphold,” the Smiths say.

Staffing shortages

While smaller police departments have recently seen an overall increase in hiring, per the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), larger departments experienced “dramatic reductions.” This scenario has been compounded by an approximate 45% increase in police retirements and 18% increase in resignations.

Police staffing shortages result in longer wait times for service, criminals becoming emboldened, less time for community policing, and officer burnout.

Smaller recruitment pools also make it more difficult for police departments to hire elite officers. Moreover, “The legacy of policing is tied to our ability to attract/train/retain a diversified workforce and all of the enumerated issues identified above have a cumulative effect in hampering those efforts,” says Koval.

Increasing violence towards cops

In 2021, there were 130 separate ambush-style attacks on police officers. Of these, 103 were shot, and 30 were killed, says the Fraternal Order of Police reported. These numbers represent a 115% increase from 2020.

This trend has continued in 2022. In a recent article, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Patrick Yoes had this to say in response to the increase in violence towards cops. (Thus far this year, the number of officers shot in the line of duty rose 63% from the same period in 2020).

“We are in the midst of a real crisis. The violence directed at law enforcement officers is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 36 years of law enforcement.”

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These attacks have damaged policing, public safety, and our quality of life in measurable ways. As unsettling as the situation is right now, there’s reason to hope. Change won’t be easy or imminent, but is possible. My next installment focuses on what the future may hold for policing, and by extension the rest of us.