At Its Best: Pathetic

Business Insider's Michelle Mark reports

Lt. Bob Kroll, head of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. told the Associated Press that Cunningham's remarks were "asinine" and perpetuated the notion that law enforcement is full of "bad guys."

"Our profession is under attack right now," Kroll said. "We've got officers dying on almost a daily basis now because of this environment, and statements like that don't help."

R-E-L-A-X,  Lieutenant Kroll.  The remarks on Monday of Terrence M. Cunningham, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and chief of the Wellesley, Mass., police. are not asinine. Useless and self-serving yes; asinine, no.

Speaking at the International Association of Chiefs of Police in San Diego, Chief Cunningham maintained

Events over the past several years have caused many to question the actions of our officers and has tragically undermined the trust that the public must and should have in their police departments…The history of the law enforcement profession is replete with examples of bravery, self-sacrifice, and service to the community. At its core, policing is a noble profession....

While we obviously cannot change the past, it is clear that we must change the future…For our part, the first step is for law enforcement and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.

A skeptical Carimah Townes of Think Progress notes

Cunningham’s statement also characterizes mistreatment as a thing of the past, ignoring the current reality that communities of color grapple with: widespread racial profiling, disproportionate arrest rates, sentencing disparities, and violent police interactions.

But the absurdity of what is being billed an "apology" goes beyond its limitations, “At the same time," Cunningham added, "those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today’s officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past."

Tonight's main debate features Trump vs. Clinton. On the undercard, we must have Chief Cunningham vs. Chief Cunningham.  "Today's officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past," Cunningham courageously said, in a statement as bold as "it is what it is."

The accuracy of the Chief's statement is self-evident, though apparently not to him.  "For our part," contends the guy who claims to understand that current officers are not responsible for the past," the first step is for law enforcement and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession has played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color."







He is claiming to apologize for past actions he himself argues current officers "are not responsible." An individual cannot apologize for something he or she is not responsible. Police officers in the old days, the Chief contends, were bad boys; not so much anymore, now that I'm one of the top cops. Law enforcement cannot apologize for actions of the past for which it is not responsible. Acknowledgement of past sins by others is laudable; apology for past sins of others is impossible.

"I would feel better about this," the Philadelphia Daily News' Will Bunch tweets, "if rank-and-file FOPs weren't solidly behind Trump," a candidate so dedicated to community relations he has called Black Lives Matter a "threat" which is "essentially calling death to the police."

Lieutenant Kroll believes the statement of the president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police was "asinine."  It was not, but instead was inadequate, disingenuous, and rather pathetic.

Share |