RESPONSE ONE
I read both articles and do not think standards should be modified. The standards are set for a reason and that is to make sure that those that are entering into law enforcement will follow the law and make sure that others do too. I understand that there is no national law when it comes to standards and it is up to each state to provide those standards but in my opinion, if you start relaxing the standards then you are relaxing the law. I understand that there are minorities that want to become officers or work in law enforcement but their backgrounds prevent them from doing so. The point I will make is not just towards minorities but all races and cultures. When it comes to upholding the law and making sure that those you are protecting are safe, you have to make sure that the ones that are protecting you are actually doing just that. The reason I say that is this, let’s just say that you have someone that got arrested for a minor drug offense and then they decided that they wanted to become a police office or work in law enforcement, how do you know and trust that if they were to stop someone for a traffic stop and there was a search that they actually report drugs and not keep them or even worse sell on the street? Who knows if the “minor” drug violation that they got charged with is the only one? Maybe they did not get caught the other times that they have been either using or dealing drugs. It’s a risk. The other thing that I wanted to point out is the relaxation of the rigorous physical demands. If I am on a call with a fellow officer, I want to know that they are just as capable of being able to keep up with me as I would with them. In Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is working to relax some standards, saying it will help officers relate better to people they encounter. I understand the reasoning for this but then it goes back to stating that they may have empathy for those but if they broke the law they broke the law and how is that helping law enforcement? After reading the story on Erica Trevino, the deaf police officer, I know that she has overcome a lot of things to get where she is, but for myself, I do not understand how she will be effective in the field. How is she going to be able to diffuse a domestic violence call? How will she know when her fellow officer is down? These are the things that I thought about when I was reading this article. When you are in law enforcement, every day that you go out into the field you don’t know if that will be your last and I want to make sure that if I am ever in a situation that I feel confident the partner that I am with is competent to protect themselves as well as me.
EXPLANATION
I do not agree with you with regards to the hiring of Erica Trevino. She and other people with disabilities should be allowed to work in the police department because the police department should represent all people. Allowing people like Erica Trevino facilitate proper communication for people with disabilities especially the deaf people who are assaulted and even abused domestically. It will enhance access to justice for such people.
Also, I do not agree with your opinion that people who have been charged with a minor drug offense should not be allowed. Does it mean that people should not be given a second chance? Does it mean that they cannot improve the police department because they have the knowledge concerning such crimes? What about people who have been charged with minor drug offense, does it mean that they cannot be encouraged to serve the community and reform from their ways? I think your approach is limiting because it does not encourage rehabilitation and reformation.
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