Why Does Law Enforcement Leadership Constantly Get It Wrong?

How can officers maintain confidence in police leadership that supports positions opposed to cops and crime victims?

Feb 29, 2024

It’s a pleasure to introduce my friend

and welcome him as the first guest author on American Peace Officer. He and I worked together at the same law enforcement organization since 1997 and remain friends in retirement. There is a strong likelihood that you have read his work previously in articles published by Recoil Magazine, Florida Jolt, Gunpowder Magazine, Omaha Outdoors, and most recently The Daily Caller.

His new Substack,

THE RECOVERING LEO

, joins distinguished law enforcement veterans calling for solutions to failed leadership and against policy positions dangerous to officers and public safety. I proudly recommend Friedrich and encourage you to subscribe to The Recovering LEO.

Throughout my law enforcement career, I’ve been asked by many folks if I agree with the positions of law enforcement managers/leaders on several issues. When I say I disagree, which is the majority of the time, people are surprised. When they ask why, I tell them it’s because, with very few exceptions, law enforcement managers ignore the views of line officers in the same fashion your representatives in D.C. ignore voters. They're politicians now. They are no longer LEOs. They are looking for money, power, and access to the luxuries that the rich enjoy without doing all the hard work.

When asked about the recent Senate immigration reform bill, the National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told ABC News, "This is absolutely better than what we currently have," "They're (agents) able to do the job that they were supposed to do as far as protecting the American people, and I think that they would feel much better about the job with this bill."

Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller had the same view: "This proposed legislation would provide the strongest set of tools we have had in decades to effectively manage migration and enhance our nation’s border security,” in a leaked internal memo to employees acquired by Fox News.

If you question an actual working Border Patrol Agent instead of management, the majority will tell you they are overwhelmed, and the U.S. should reinstate Title 42 and close the border.

group of people during daytime — Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash

Time and time again, law enforcement leadership gets it wrong. In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, gun control hysteria raged on. The blame was put on President Trump, conservative talk show host Dana Loesch, The NRA, Republicans, and the rifle itself, everything except the shooter. Shooter Nikolas Jacob Cruz was solely responsible for the deaths of those 17 students. The failure of local, county, state, and federal agencies to do their job helped create the perfect storm.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told you it’s about gun control as he tried to cover his ass over his department's failures to deal with Cruz, who, according to records, BCSO had been dealt with at least 39 times prior to the shooting. The Obama administration told us it’s about gun control. That’s why, just a few hours after the Pulse Nightclub shooter was killed and the U.S. Attorney General and alphabet agencies converged on Orlando, they had a local Imam go on TV and tell everyone the shooting was about gun control and had nothing to do with Islam. At the same time, I was there on the scene at Pulse, on the perimeter, dealing with victim's families.

The Florida legislature told us it’s about gun control when they passed a feel-good bill that the NRA immediately challenged due to its unconstitutional provision barring citizens 18 to 21 years old from the right to purchase any firearms.

The government likes to restrict the rights of individuals because it wants to control every aspect of citizens' lives, and law enforcement leaders follow along. Citizens are told law enforcement will provide security for the citizens, as it is their job. Unfortunately, they suck at it. They say that taxes are the price you pay to live in a safe society. If that’s the case, I want a refund.

Share American Peace Officer

As a retired LEO and Firearms Trainer, I can tell you the majority of the rank-and-file LEOs are Pro-Gun. Why is that, you ask? First, they swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, including the 2^nd amendment. Second, any LEO who is honest about it will tell you that there aren’t enough officers to cover the areas assigned. When seconds count, the police are minutes away. Police are outnumbered, and citizens may be forced to defend themselves until Law Enforcement arrives. Law enforcement occasionally saves the day, but they usually show up after it's over to set up a crime scene log and take the report.

While on duty, I frequently asked people why they carry concealed. Some citizens said they were exercising their 2^ndAmendment rights. The majority cited personal protection as their main reason for concealed carry. My favorite answer was one man who told me, “I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.”

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has a Firearms Policy Position Paper, and it’s a gun-grabber's dream. The group's position calls for a firearm purchase waiting period, eliminating the so-called gun show loophole and an Assault Weapons Ban. Included in this paper is the false claim that the 1994 Clinton assault weapons ban worked. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states the prohibition had no measurable impact, and when the ban expired, the violent crime rate, as well as the homicide rate, continued its downward trend.

When Florida Governor Scott and the legislature passed the Red Flag law, it was only passed to give the public the appearance they were doing something. I was against it – as there were more effective options, but law enforcement leaders followed the push for Red Flag legislation. After passing, there was some buyer's remorse. The law gave law enforcement more arrest powers, and that’s a power you’ll never get back. You also gave patrol officers, who are already at minimum manning and going from one call to another, more work. Now, they are confiscating firearms, doing extra paperwork, and spending less time on the road.

These are just a couple of examples. In the future, perhaps law enforcement leaders should speak to some veteran line officers and get their opinions before deciding on such issues.

Believe it or not, many officers are pretty intelligent.

Why Does Law Enforcement Leadership Constantly Get It Wrong?

How can officers maintain confidence in police leadership that supports positions opposed to cops and crime victims?

Discussion about this post