BRIDGEPORT - Being a cop is no picnic.
The current strain of public animosity toward police officers is much like it was in the turbulent 1960s.
Videos routinely run on network news showing officers beating unarmed suspects — although most of the many thousands of officers across the country respect and uphold the nation’s laws.
So there they were Monday morning, bright-eyed and standing tall, 26 new recruits - including seven women - being sworn in at the city’s police academy.
“This is an honorable profession, don’t ever forget that,” Police Chief Armando Perez told the recruits. “We exist to serve and protect society — to serve and protect society.”
Anyone who violates that standard, the chief said, he will run out of the Police Department.
“Being a police officer is a tall order, but I know you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t cut out for it,” Mayor Joseph Gamin told them before administering the oath.
The city has not been an exception to the controversies involving police around the country.
Still fresh in many residents’ minds is the May 9, 2017, shooting of an unarmed 15-year-old Jayson Negron by a police officer. And then there was incident of the 17 police officers who were cited for lying and using excessive force to break up a party in October 2017- much of it caught on video.
Training for today’s police officers has changed to adapt to the problems now being faced by officers.
Police Capt. Rebecca Garcia, the head of the police academy, said among the new training programs recently implemented are de-escalation training for recruits and more programs aimed at forging a bridge between officers and the community.
...from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/New-Bridgeport-cops-sworn-in-to-serve-and-13804280.php
No comments:
Post a Comment