Drizzt
January 24, 2003, 02:24 PM
Des Moines Register
January 12, 2003 Sunday
SECTION: SUNDAY OPINION; Pg. 2O
LENGTH: 338 words
HEADLINE: Post Script;
Who wrote the letter?
BYLINE: Readers
BODY:
Jon McBride is a former police officer and a retired special agent assigned to the Department of Justice Organized Strike Force. He taught behavioral sciences at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Marana, Ariz. His classes were comprised of students from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs, U.S. Indian Police and others. Comment: "One of law enforcement's challenges is to let go of traditional methods of doing business, rethink priorities and cast outdated attitudes and behaviors. Firearms have outlived their value as a symbol of smart law enforcement. While still necessary, they hopefully are equipment used less and far differently today than 50, 30 or even 20 years ago.
"The police recruiting model should be looking for police candidates on the college campus. Here these students will be studying the physical, social and behavioral sciences, along with math and computer technologies. An effort should be made to recruit men and women who are educated, classically trained thinkers, and then add the law enforcement vocational training. The university training, experiences and skills will increasingly compete as tools on an officers' equipment belt beside the traditional firearm."
An excerpt of his letter published Dec. 19:
Firearms, while displayed in the Register story as a symbol of policing, are an extremely small part of the vast tools that cutting-edge law-enforcement officers have in their toolbox. But this picture may unwittingly disclose what probably is law enforcement's typical mind-set across the nation. More telling, the weapon displayed in the photograph dates back almost 60 years.
It is perplexing that law-enforcement recruiting would continue to market itself with firearms. While important, firearms play an incredibly small role in the day-to-day work of an officer. The best and the brightest are unlikely to be drawn to a career vocation that plays to the past and seemingly refuses to move into more progressive skill sets.
-Jon W. McBride, Cumming.
January 12, 2003 Sunday
SECTION: SUNDAY OPINION; Pg. 2O
LENGTH: 338 words
HEADLINE: Post Script;
Who wrote the letter?
BYLINE: Readers
BODY:
Jon McBride is a former police officer and a retired special agent assigned to the Department of Justice Organized Strike Force. He taught behavioral sciences at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Marana, Ariz. His classes were comprised of students from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs, U.S. Indian Police and others. Comment: "One of law enforcement's challenges is to let go of traditional methods of doing business, rethink priorities and cast outdated attitudes and behaviors. Firearms have outlived their value as a symbol of smart law enforcement. While still necessary, they hopefully are equipment used less and far differently today than 50, 30 or even 20 years ago.
"The police recruiting model should be looking for police candidates on the college campus. Here these students will be studying the physical, social and behavioral sciences, along with math and computer technologies. An effort should be made to recruit men and women who are educated, classically trained thinkers, and then add the law enforcement vocational training. The university training, experiences and skills will increasingly compete as tools on an officers' equipment belt beside the traditional firearm."
An excerpt of his letter published Dec. 19:
Firearms, while displayed in the Register story as a symbol of policing, are an extremely small part of the vast tools that cutting-edge law-enforcement officers have in their toolbox. But this picture may unwittingly disclose what probably is law enforcement's typical mind-set across the nation. More telling, the weapon displayed in the photograph dates back almost 60 years.
It is perplexing that law-enforcement recruiting would continue to market itself with firearms. While important, firearms play an incredibly small role in the day-to-day work of an officer. The best and the brightest are unlikely to be drawn to a career vocation that plays to the past and seemingly refuses to move into more progressive skill sets.
-Jon W. McBride, Cumming.