The First Avengers

“Oh crap, the police.” Why is it that every time you see that distinctive black and white paint job or those flashing blue lights a bolt of fear radiates through your body? Even if you’re just walking your yellow lab on a Sunday afternoon, you still feel that tingly panic. The police are supposed to be our friends, protectors of our rights and defenders of the law. No, that’s not a cheesy character description for Captain America. It is simply what we expect from law enforcement. We used to believe in that description. Police officers were applauded and thanked as they walked by, their hands constantly being held or high-fived or shaken. But somehow the reverence that we used to have for the men in blue has waned. Now, instead of applause, they get fearful looks. Instead of shaking their hand, we shy away, lest our actions seem suspicious.  It is plain and simple: police officers do not get the respect they deserve. The solution seems simple as well: change our attitude. However, the media throws a cog in the machine of change.

You never really see a positive story about the police in the news. Some recent headlines have been “Police Shoot Mentally Ill Homeless Man 46 Times[1]” and “Why Are Cops Picking on the Weak?[2]” Is this really all policemen do—scour the streets looking for their next innocent victim to terrorize? That’s what the media seems to believe, seeing as they spend a disproportionate amount of time talking about how Officer John Doe ruined an innocent old lady’s life or shot a man just because of the color of his skin. Stories like these help push the negative view of cops through the air until it pervades every city across America. And I’m sure some aspects of law enforcement are tainted, like the cash-for-freedom deals in Tenaha Texas. But most police officers are appalled at stories like this, just like the rest of us. They are not all vindictive soul-suckers who use their power for evil. They are regular people, like you and me, who are used by the media to create sensational stories.

Growing up, I had the sweetest nanny ever. She would never complain about anything, even when she broke her kneecap trying to help my sister cross a stream on a fallen log. However, about once a week, she would arrive at our house without her usual flurry of Spanish greetings. These were the days when she missed her husband; when his long hours on the night shift started to eat away at their family. He was Officer Norman, employee of the District of Columbia Police Force. He would put on his uniform every evening, strap on his gun, and head out to do his job: protecting the public. He sacrificed time with is wife and his two children, not to mention a good night’s sleep, for this sole purpose. He, like countless other police officers, was a normal person. He lived a normal life. Yet, when you Google “DC Police Department” headlines still read “DC police officer arrested for theft charges” and “DC Police Officer arrested for ‘Pimping’ Girls”.

Where are the stories about the officers who help a stranded teenager change a tire? Or the deputies who stopped traffic to help a woman cross the street? I am confident that the police do that. I was that teenager. But our story never made it into the Washington Post. I guess you can’t really blame the media for passing over these relatively mundane stories so they can get the “SHOCKER” headline. The economy sucks and people are doing whatever they can to survive. However, that includes law enforcement. If their name gets dragged through the dirt, how are they supposed to drum up donations and do their job effectively?

So next time you’re driving down a highway and see a police car in your rearview mirror suppress that bubble of panic rising in your chest. Remember that the police are not out to get you. They are not searching for any reason to pull you over. They are merely trying to do their jobs, despite what you read that morning in the paper. And be thankful. Thankful that they persist, despite negative attention, to make the world a safer place. So, maybe they are a little bit like Captain America after all.