I was a cop for seven years; a Sergeant in the Detective Bureau in the Dade County Public Safety Department and the number 2 man on the Lieutenant's list. I was on the way up, until the Department went crooked. They eventually indicted the Sheriff, the Chief of Detectives and a significant portion of the upper echelons of the Department. I resigned and went to find my place in life somewhere else. The point is that I am no stranger to police scandals. It is a sad truth that police work attracts some people who are less inclined to serve the community and more motivated to be in business for themselves. The badge and the gun have a shine to them that can sometimes fog an individual's moral vision. I think that our recent police scandal would be less of a story if it were a gas company employee that threatened to turn off the gas or a landlord who threatened to toss her out, if the woman didn't "come across." But, there is something about a shabby cop that makes us mad and a little fearful. Partially, because we all must give up a lot of our freedom to police officers, if they are to enforce the laws. This is already yesterday's story. The FDLE is in control of the case and we can only hope that the law will prevail. But, the questions will not go away. The saddest part of this is that every police officer bears some responsibility for the existence of men who fail the badge. The thin blue line, besides being protective, should also have a little backbone. I left police work because I found that there was nothing that I could do about what was happening in my police department. Some people take the side that this is just a sexual harassment case. It isn't. It is about the misusing power and violating the public trust. How can anyone, male or female, feel safe when there is the nagging knowledge that a police officer was allowed to take advantage of the power of the badge? The City Commission and the police department both have their work cut out for them. It will require an effort that goes far beyond the usual smooth words and political stonewalling. We need to be convinced that we can trust our cops again. | 