LETTER: How to solve the probem of police brutality

In the Review-Journal over the past weeks, there have been numerous articles complaining about police brutality by either one specific officer or a department as a whole. As a retired officer, I offer a suggestion as to how this problem may be alleviated.

First, police agencies should trade in their current police vehicles for minivans. Each of these vans will then be outfitted with seats for up to 20 additional passengers. To fill these seats, various professionals will be recruited from the public as “experts” in their field. Once at the scene of an incident, the officer can call on the appropriate professional to assist him. Here is a sample list of the professionals needed to occupy those seats: a doctor, a lawyer, a social worker, a mental health expert, a nurse, a negotiator, an animal wrangler, an interpreter, a psychiatrist, a juvenile officer, a member of the clergy and a judge.

Sounds crazy? But in today’s world, officers have become everything to everyone. Front-line officers are currently involved in cases that include issues from mental illness, substance abuse, traffic accidents, and other human conditions that all of us encounter throughout our lives. That makes an officer vulnerable to a lawsuit by someone hoping to get rich. An example? An officer arrests a suspect who just killed five people, but didn’t know the man was insane. The man’s estate sues and wins $1 million dollars. Oh, wait. Now we have to add “fortune teller” to the list of professionals.

Obviously the idea of packing a minivan full of experts who would ride along with an officer during his shift is ludicrous. If you ever have to call the police, dial 911. You will not get a minivan, but you will get a highly trained officer ready to serve and protect you.