I recently watched this documentary on small-town policing. They got a lot of things right.
Having been a small town cop, I can tell you that while the action is not as constant and exciting as big city law enforcement, it is in some ways more satisfying. You see the people you helped later, and they generally express their appreciation, and that’s a satisfaction that’s missing for a lot of big city cops.
When the public waves at you, they use all their fingers.
You get to know the people you serve – and they get to know and trust you, in turn. You get more information tips from them then you might in the anonymity of a metropolis.
Here in TinyTown™ in NW Wyoming we are mostly patrolled by the local PD, but also by the county Deputy Sheriffs. I was hugely impressed when I called the Sheriff’s department to schedule a time to do a VIN check so I could register my vehicles from our former state, and they offered to send someone to our house so that we wouldn’t have to drive all four vehicles separately to the station.
Two incredibly nice, fit, young (okay, I’m a geezer…early thirties looks pretty young) Deputy Sheriff’s showed up, ran the numbers, verified ID and insurance, and filled out most of the paperwork for us. Zip, zap, boom, we were done, and all we had to do was go down to the courthouse with the paperwork to pay the license and tag fees. That’s small town for you.
I am glad that I watched the whole video, which is long enough to require some patience. All the interviewees came across as caring people who merit respect and support. May they all get both, and not worry too much about meeting at least near zero feasible zero defects criteria. Best policy is to do your best and not forget to rely on God, especially when you just can’t decide what to do otherwise, IMHO.
You were right the video was pretty good and brought back some real positive aspects of being an LEO. However, given the current feelings on Law Enforcement and the judicial system that is more concerned about the the criminal rather than the victim, can we continue to get good quality people willing to work at an underpaying job? I would like to think yes God Bless all those who protect us.
Kudos to NPR making a decent documentary. I learned a lot about the rural area policing effort.
We are fortunate to have a small town PD. Most of the officers are veterans of “big city” departments who have matured past their need for SWAT type action and truly appreciate the personal relationships of a small town. Some completed an entire “normal” career at a larger force. They are highly capable officers with the wisdom and knowledge gained only by experience.
A couple of years back, someone on the town council proposed contracting out to the Sheriff’s department for all our policing to reduce cost; but, the town folks turned out in droves to lobby to keep our local force. Our PD is supplemented by the Sheriff’s Department as needed and we have a very fine Sheriff’s Department here in Pinellas County; but, it is nice to have most of the policing done by people we know by name. They have our backs and we have theirs.
Given the adversarial nature of policing it matters not if it’s a small town or a big city. Police are not your friends. They are there to suppress your Constitutional rights.
Esteemed Vince Daniel, if you think that the peace officer in the USA tends to be adversarial, you might want to spend a few months in Mexico living under its police authority. Been there, did that. I will take USA law enforcement any day. It seems true that some of our modern officers may have been taught to arbitrarily distrust the public, forgetting that what goes around, does come around. I feel that our police could would be able to practice more patience if forces were actually fully staffed.
Mister Steve,
I have lived in Mexico City and spent time in various non free localities. The one thing those locations don’t have that we do is a Bill Of Rights. Policing is adversarial in nature but for too long American law enforcement has been allowed to violate the rights of the citizens they swore to protect.
There is no protection from that in a timely manner. I do not advocate abolishing the police but I wholeheartedly support abolishing qualified immunity, treating the violators of your rights with the respect due their violation of your sacred rights, and when they violate your rights treating them as the armed tyrants they are.
Police, and politicians, should fear the citizens. That helps to keep the system of government, and its agents, honest. Right now nobody fears the citizens. That allows the tyranny to continue unabated.
I watched the video also but must have missed the message. It seemed like a recruiting video to me? How did they pick Mitchell? After 28 years, I’m not sure if the “rapport” this is good. Will you be too emotionally involved to do your job to a life-long friend, neighbor, ex????????
I suspect one of the reasons many Americans have felt safe in America in the past, is because the police did such a good job of fighting crime. That safety even allows some folks to feel as though they don’t need guns, because crime fighting is done by the government, not by citizens. Lately, this is all changing, as we know. America is becoming more like Pottersville and Gotham City, and less like Bedford Falls and Mayberry.
Roger Willco
Not sure what time you are referring to but:
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States:
‘After 1992, crime rates have generally trended downwards each year, with the exceptions of a slight increase in property crimes in 2001 and increases in violent crimes in 2005–2006, 2014–2016 and 2020–2021. As of July 1, 2024 violent crime was down and homicides were on pace to drop to 2015 levels by the end of the year.’
Though peoples perception of crime often have little to do with the actuality. Violent crime rose under Trump and went down under Biden. The republicans claim the opposite.
nicholas kane,
In the 1950s, kids on rifle teams took .22 caliber rifles to school, even in New York City. Justice Scalia and Michael Savage were on rifle teams back then, in Manhattan.
I think the crime spiked when the baby boomers were young, and leaders decided to go soft on crime. So, there was a lot of crime in the 1970s. I live in the Northeast, and NYC was bad until Rudolph Giuliani became mayor, 1994–2001.
“Violent crime rose under Trump and went down under Biden. The republicans claim the opposite.”
Violent crime rose during the Fauci Virus. Trump’s final year was 2020, the beginning of the plague. It is true that during Biden reported crimes went down. Could that be due to defunding the police, lessening the number of police in many departments voluntarily, and because people don’t want to become policemen? District Attorneys allow shoplifting and lesser crimes to go unpunished. Could it be that crimes which would have been reported in the past are now unreported because police officers know the DAs will let the criminals go? Why arrest them? Just look the other way.
Could it be that citizens don’t report crimes as often because they know the crime won’t be solved? Could it be that Communists in the media and police departments are fudging the numbers, to make the Biden Administration appear better?
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