LETTER: Here’s how to fix the police
Rep. Steven Horsford is naïve to think that President Joe Biden and a dysfunctional Congress can do anything to stop a tiny number of rogue cops from doing evil things. All of the use-of-force policies in the world won’t stop violent thugs from ignoring those policies, nor overcome the mob mentality that kicks in with many people, regardless of their professions.
Like all government jobs, there will always be a number of people who have no business holding those jobs, especially a job such as a police officer, who can legally take away our liberty. But the fix to the problem is two-fold.
First, stop elevating police to hero status. Yes, some cops do heroic things. But not all cops are heroes. Contrary to popular belief, police are not our friends. Their job is to enforce the law, regardless of whether those laws are good or bad. Second, as with all government jobs, do away with public sector unions that make it nearly impossible for managers to fire bad employees.
Time will tell, but history shows that rogue cops — such as those who killed Tyre Nichols — almost always had a history of bad behavior that management couldn’t do anything about.