In Mirielle Blond's "Police in Texas" from her blog Bluebonnet Politics, her comment, "many police officers have had domestic abuse charges in the past, and continue working without a problem," is a gross overstatement and exactly the kind of loaded language the media uses to stir up public sensationalism. This article is misleading because it makes generalizations drawn from isolated cases across the country (which is how stereotyping and thus bigotry begins).
In fact, the Austin Police Department's website outlines a stringent ten step hiring process that includes assessment of a candidate's integrity, situational reasoning, psychological health, a background investigation, and a polygraph test. Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers undergo a similar elimination process. Included on their list of immediate disqualifications from the program is "having been convicted of a family violence offense."
Any remaining candidates who pass the polygraph, background check, etc, must go on to an academy. Here, they learn various skills imperative to becoming a police officer such as the Use-of-Force Continuum, which outlines appropriate responses to law enforcement situations increasing in severity as the danger of the situation increases. These officers are well-trained and thoroughly disciplined, not the trigger-happy, bigoted wackos depicted in this article.
Any Austinite who still believes that Texas' police force is a bunch of trigger-happy bigoted wackos will take solace in the APD's plan to implement a body camera program next year. Three million dollars are being dumped into cameras worn by patrolling officers that will be activated before all calls, including during arrests. These cameras will be audited monthly. Not only will the program ensure each officer's accountability to uphold the law, but it will also protect officers from being wrongly accused of police brutality.
Police officers - good police officers - most police officers - enthusiastically welcome videographic evidence that will serve to aid them favorably in justifying their arrests. Austin has proved a shining example in its implementation of other programs and other cities are certain to follow suit in this regard. Police body cameras will dispel the sensationalism the media spoon feeds to gullible millennials and weed out the small percentage of bad officers who have managed to remain undetected. (Remember, background checks and character assessments, no matter how thorough, are not able to predict future behavior.)
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