The street was dimly lit, a light drizzle casting a golden sheen on the wet sidewalk reflecting the yellow streetlight from above. Two men standing under a bus stop quickly exchange greetings, exchanging money and drugs. One of the men begins to walk away when two unmarked police cars come screeching to a halt in front of the bus stop. The man who was standing under the roof immediately runs on foot, being chased by the man who just purchased drugs from him (an undercover Narc) and several other men wearing a smorgasbord of black vests that say police in big white letters, some of them wearing what appears to be ninja hoods.
They run to a low chain linked fence, the drug dealer effortlessly clears it in one jump. The Narc and his companions in hot pursuit likewise begin to jump the fence, the Narc tearing his new jeans that he just bought two weeks ago. He runs through the slippery wet grass and rounds a corner cautiously in case the drug dealer is waiting for him with a gun drawn or some other nasty surprise. Nothing. He quickly dashes down between the houses when he hears several men yelling all at once, he rounds the front of a house to see two masked officers wrestling with the suspect on the ground in the mud. The Narc runs up and grabs hold of the suspects kicking legs, taking a foot to the face briefly busting his lip for his efforts as he attempts to hold down the flailing man while the other two officers yelling, attempt to handcuff him.
Once cuffed, the drug dealer looks at the bleeding Narc and spits at him yelling about how he’s going to get him when he gets out.
The Narc goes back to the police station and begins to write his report as the intake officers book the suspect. He has to be careful that the report is factual, well written, easy to understand with a logical timeline, referencing all pertinent data and additional reports, warrants, evidence, etc. and is free of any personal opinions or assumptions. The Narc then has a fellow officer maybe glance it over one time while he gets some coffee. Looking good the report gets filed to go ahead to the district attorney’s office. The Narc wraps up another 14 hour day.
Later the a copy of the report will be given to the defense attorney to poke holes in, look for mistakes or violations of civil rights. Anything to get his client off the hook. The Narc will go to court, sit there patiently answering the same question rephrased differently 5 different times. He will answer questions about his methods, work habits, personal history, professional history, friends and fellow officers and possibly even his educational background and training.
“What?” you say?
That’s right, he may have to answer questions about his educational background, especially if it is weak in order for the defense attorney to make the officer seem incompetent or less than honest. For example it is not uncommon for an officer to list his training and experience when providing a statement for a warrant to be issued; this often includes educational background if applicable.
Anyone considering a job in law enforcement should be aware of this possibility. Often what separates the officer’s story from that of the bad guy’s is simple credibility. If you are considering a degree in criminal justice, is the school you are considering one that you would be confident in mentioning in a court of law to a hostile attorney dead set on making you look stupid at best and incompetent as an officer at worst? It is a serious consideration whenever you consider your school of choice’s accreditation, reputation, history and even method of learning.
Hope that helps…