Good Cop - Bad Cop

He was a mild, unassuming kind of guy, not the type you would think would be successful in this kind of work.  When he was a student at Archbishop Molloy High School, one of the Marist Brothers infuriated my mother by saying, “he’ll never amount to anything” because he seemed so timid and “never spoke up”.   My mother was furious and this teacher was so terribly wrong.   

My brother, Charlie, had wanted to be a cop for as long as I can remember.   As a little boy, he stood at attention and marched up and down the street with a rifle laid over his shoulder.  Maybe he wanted to show that teacher and the rest of the world that he could do it, that he could make something of himself.   Maybe that’s why he applied and was accepted to New York City’s Finest.

He joined the NYPD and easily rose to the rank of Captain.  He would have gone higher but the more advanced positions were all political in nature and that just didn’t appeal to him.   Charlie was a tremendously good cop.  He was honest, hard-working, intelligent and kind.  He was slow to anger, calm and reflective. As a cop, his temperament was an asset rather than a liability.  When you carry a gun, it’s best not to be a hothead.   Charlie was well-loved and brought people together.  He had a great sense of humor and was well-respected and well-loved by all who worked with him.

I’m certain, there was no better cop than Charlie.   

I grew up feeling that cops were marvelous people. Both of my grandfathers were police officers with the NYPD and it seemed that there were always police officers, firemen and correctional officers surrounding me, both in my family, and in my circle of friends.  Even as a nurse, it always seemed there was a special connection between the nurses and “the officers of the law”.

But, and here is the important “but”.   Not every cop is noble.  Never every cop is blameless.  Police Officers are human beings like the rest of us.   They carry prejudices, too, and some are hotheaded and downright nasty.   I venture to say, some people join the police force because they want to laud it over others or be in a position of power.   I personally overheard cops talking after a beer or two.  They laughed and joked along these lines, “we held the Ni_ _ _ _ down on the ground with our foot and taunted him, calling him, Ni_ _ _ _, Ni_ _ _ _, what’s the matter, can’t you get up?   Boy wasn’t that hilarious, “one of them said.    Honestly, it made me sick to my stomach and I had to leave the room.

Another cop I knew, who wasn’t really a bad guy, had way too much to drink one day and shot his gun off through the ceiling of the tavern.    I felt he was really a good cop at heart although his behavior that day was extremely horrifying.   He was thrown off the force.

So, what I am trying to say here is this:  police officers should not be above the law, simply because they are police officers.    We have to respect all human beings and judge them not because of the role they are in or the uniform they wear, but because they conduct themselves in a manner that deserves our respect.    I grew up respecting Catholic Priests because they were priests.  I learned over the years that not every priest deserves my respect.  Not every cop deserves my respect either.   I cannot respect someone simply because they hold a position that typically deserves admiration.  

Addendum added on 12-13-16 

I have decided to write a follow-up to “Good Cop-Bad Cop” because I received some rather intense feedback that this blog entry was felt to be an attack on the police.  Let me state clearly and for the record that it was not my intention to attack the police force.   I thought I made it perfectly clear that I have always had very positive feelings towards the police and other officers of the law. 

I am sorry if people were offended that I did not mention their names or state them as other examples of “good cops”.   I was simply using Captain Charles A. Fries, Jr. as one instance of a genuinely wonderful police officer.   He was my older brother and my “hero”.   Since I knew and loved him the best, I picked him as my positive example.   And, I will say again for the record, that as far as I am concerned, there was no better cop that Charlie.    

I have also learned over my lifetime that not every cop is a “good cop” or, at least in certain instances, their behavior is less than stellar.  As a matter of fact, at one point in his career my brother, Charlie, was in the very difficult position (Internal Affairs) of having to investigate and determine culpability of other police officers. 

 So, once again let me re-state that what I am trying to say is this:  police officers should not be above the law, simply because they are police officers.    We have to respect all human beings and judge them not because of the role they are in or the uniform they wear, but because they conduct themselves in a manner that deserves our respect.

This follow-up entry is dedicated to all the great cops I know.  You know who you are and I invite you  to add your names in the comment section.  I don’t want to offend anyone by missing someone, so I will leave this up to each and every one of you.