Being cop is worth risk, negative coverage: Your Say

Letter edited for clarity and grammar: 

Over the span of our law enforcement careers, we have been asked one question more than any other: Why is it worth it? Turn on the TV, read the paper or browse social media, and it's not unusual to see police portrayed unfavorably. It's understandable that people would often ask this question. It is worth it because we can proudly say to our families and to the people we are sworn to protect and serve, that we have made a positive and lasting impact for the greater good.

Our nation is becoming increasingly polarized by use of force incidents and questions about the way law enforcement officers are trained. Police departments and city officials across the country are identifying the need to find new, innovative ways to improved officer performance in stressful situations. Newly appointed New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner of Training Tracie Keesee recently said, “We … want to have evidence-based training, not just checkbox training. We want to make sure our training has an impact on behavior and performance.”

The Police Executive Research Forum recently published statistical data in regards to new police officer training. The data exposed a disparity in training between firearms and less than lethal force options. Statistics revealed that, on average, a recruit received 58 hours of training on a firearm, but only 6 to 8 hours on non-lethal force options, such as a baton, an electronic control weapon and pepper spray. The imbalance in training between lethal and non-lethal force options was even greater once the police officer graduated from the academy and relied on in-service training. Based simply on the amount of time officers spend training in each skill, it's easy to see why an officer would be more likely to rely on a firearm than anything else.

There are several highly overlooked and underdeveloped areas when it comes to officer training: conditioning, reenforcement of less-than-lethal force options through repetition, strikes (punches and kicks). Using these options and proper training would emphasize de-escalation of force and enhance the application of less-than-lethal methods under stress.

Dedicating our lives to public service and helping to prepare the next generation of law enforcement officers to successfully safeguard their communities and themselves is worth every single challenge along the way. As Steve Jobs once said, “Being able to effect change for the greater good is not something that comes often in one’s lifetime.” This is a call to action, and our time is now!

Jason Tacbas and Brandon Ridens

Founders of the Pervalidus Group; Brunswick, Ga.

Hate-crimes protections not needed for anyone, including cops

Facebook comments edited for clarity and grammar:

It doesn't seem like hate-crime laws deter crimes. They give the appearance of "doing" without thinking in terms of depth and breadth to problems.

— Dan Porath

This "hate crime" nonsense has got to stop. A crime is a crime, no matter what the motivation. To classify it as a special type of crime and upgrade to a different level is against all ideas of fairness. You can't regulate people's motivations and you shouldn't elevate the level of crime simply because the perpetrator feels animosity toward the victim. The results of the crime are the same, regardless!

If you want to take the "motive" into consideration, then let it come out in the sentencing phase. Maximum sentences are there for a reason. Motivation, callousness and general disregard for the law are reasons we should up the level of punishment. The maximum sentence should reflect the seriousness of the crime. Classifying a crime as a hate crime is only there to appease the group that feels victimized and is simply unfair to those being charged.

— Stephen LaBarre

No. There should be no such thing as a protected class or a hate crime. The punishment should be the same regardless of the victim.

— Trent Benanti

Somebody needs to stand up for law enforcement.

— Thomas Patrick McAuliffe