Norm Stamper - During my rookie days back in the sixties as a San Diego police officer I
used excessive force, more than once. I remember most of the incidents,
though I'm sure I've conveniently forgotten some. I'm ashamed, wish to
hell I hadn't done it. But I did, and visceral memories of these
incidents help shape an answer to the question of why certain cops
engage in brutal behavior, and others don't...
So, why did I abuse the very people I'd been hired to serve?
Not to get too psychological, I did it because the power of my
position went straight to my head; because other cops I'd come to admire
did it; and because I thought I could get away with it. Which I did --
until a principled prosecutor slapped me upside the head and demanded to
know whether the U.S. Constitution meant anything to me.
It comes down to this: real cops, those with a conscience,
those who honor the law, must step up and take control of the cop
culture.
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