While I have not had any significant interactions with on-duty NYPD in my everyday life, I do have a number of former officers as family members. In particular, my Aunt Maryann and Uncle William (brother and sister) were both officers of the NYPD. My aunt (who retired as a homicide detective) started fresh out of the academy on solo foot patrol in the early 80s Bed-Stuy. Maryann, during her patrols, became a familiar face to those on her beat and actively sought to know those she was protecting. When she was informed that the pensioners in her sector were being robbed on Social Security Check Day, she personally coordinated with the elderly residents on her beat. On that day, she would collect them from their houses and walk them, as a group, to the bank. Checks cashed, she would then walk them to the local supermarket, wait outside while they did their daily shopping, and escort them all home. My aunt’s intelligence and compassion, as well as her personal interactions and relationships with those on her patrol, not only decreased the crime on her beat but also improved the safety of those she swore to protect. Because she was so well known in her sector, with a connection to those in her care, it also served to increase her respect and safety in the community. Having the trust of that community, she was also privy to valuable information about ongoing activities and individuals in her area. This communication created a beneficial relationship between the community and their “local cop”. She didn’t see herself as just working in the community but also a part of that community.
In contrast, my uncle was a police sergeant. While I do not have any poignant stories about his time on the force, I can say from my interactions with him that, while he is not an “evil” person, he is an extremely closed-minded individual and does not share my aunt’s compassion or drive to connect with ALL of NYC’s residents. My father, William’s and Maryann’s brother, was constantly regaled by my uncle with tales of “getting these people under control” and various gleeful anecdotes of abuse and mistreatment of those under his watch. His overall demeanor regarding this was heavily laden with his contempt for those he was supposed to serve.
To this day, I enjoy the time that I spend with my aunt discussing any and every subject, the retired bomb dogs she and her husband adopt, and her view of life in general. The time that I spend with my uncle I often find quite uncomfortable. He is highly opinionated (although poorly informed), regarding the relationship between the NYPD and the city’s various citizens. He expresses extreme biases, racism, and a discriminator mindset which I could see presenting a barrier to him doing his job in a professional and ethical manner. He stories convey that many officers that he worked with shared a similar mindset. This prejudice, lack of understanding, and poor communication, in my opinion, fosters the mutual fear and widens the gulf between the officers of the NYPD and those they swore to serve and protect. In stark contrast, my aunt and uncle demonstrate that, despite being siblings with the same upbringing and taking on the same calling, they viewed and undertook this duty in very different fashions. Through them I can see that police officers are individual people with their own minds, hearts, and thoughts which dictate their actions both on and off duty. While there are many officers that enter the force with open minds, professionalism, and empathy for those they serve, there are so many others that enter the department with closed minds, serious biases, and pre-formed dysfunctional views of what their job should entail. Unfortunately, those of the latter mindset find themselves comfortably falling in line with so many others of a similar perspective and perpetuate the narrative of “us versus them”. This is often fostered by the sense of “Police Culture”, peer pressure within the department, and guidance from their like-minded superiors. As this framework progresses, it engenders fear in the populace and evokes powerful reactions, which in turn can feed and “validate” the police’s fear. Such a cycle is ineffective and detrimental to all parties and promotes increasing fear, distrust, and violence between the two groups. Although there have been many attempts at instituting programs to improve the relations between the people and the police, perhaps it is time to promote respect and concern between the NYPD and the community. If mutual trust can be restored, if the police can become a positive (and accepted) part of the community, and if the current adversarial relationship be converted to one of understanding and unity, I feel that the populace and its protectors can eventually co-exist without significant friction.
