I’m giving the sergeant a pseudonym, Sgt. Mark DeRosa. That’s not his real name. He is willing to use his real name and print his email. But I’d prefer to give him a pseudonym and not print his email.
I wrote:
Sgt. DeRosa,
I also want you to know that I am and will continue to post our correspondence on www.copinthehood.com. I’m not identifying you in any way, other than retired BCPD sgt.
Yours,
Professor Peter Moskos
Dept. of Law and Police Science
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
899 10th Ave, Room 422
New York, NY 10019
Sgt [DeRosa] writes:
Feel free to post my name and address if you wish [Ed note: I do not wish. But I admire his willingness.]. I am a proud conservative and vote that way every election. I distrust any one who contends that “the police are the problem” in the ghetto. Those animals living there who rob “mostly their own” are the problem. I totally distrust any one who contends that drugs should be legalized. Hell, why not legalize bank robbery & rape, then we could lay all the police off as there would be no crimes to arrest for. Then we would have more money to give to those who chose not to work for a living.
Liberalism has ruined Police Depts all across this country. It has begun to ruin the whole country as well.
As for me I will not sing “Kum-by-ya.”, I will keep my powder dry, my guns loaded, and my picture of Charlton Heston dusted. I will never be a victim because some liberal thinks I should be. Further more, I do not have a problem with your PHD, just the way educators use it to impress liberal views on young kids who are paying a fortune to be turned into future liberal activists. It is a statistical fact that 90% of professors are left wingers. Surveys that were taken prove this, as the intelligencia has admitted it. Ward Churchill is a perfect example. Teach if you wish, but teach the truth, not the truth as you wish it to be.
[Mark DeRosa] Sgt (ret) BCPD
My response:
[Sgt DeRosa],
The police are not the problem. I agree. Again, I wish you would read my book. You’ve taken me for some cop-bashing liberal. I’m not (well, I am liberal. But I’m not a cop basher. Believe it or not, those are two different things).
I do think drugs should be legalized. Basically because I don’t think drug dealers wouldn’t shoot each other as much if drugs were legal. There’s more, but I’m not going to type my reasoning again here. It’s in the book.
I think you misunderstand Liberalism. I’m not saying there aren’t any stupid and intolerant liberal. There are. Just like exists among conservatives. I feel I do teach the truth. Sometimes the truth is Liberal. Sometimes the truth is Conservative. You know what liberals and conservatives have in common? When they know that they’re always right and think less of those who hold other opinions, they become one and the same thing: fascist.
But no, I don’t think Liberalism has ruined Police Departments. I think Liberalism has made policing and the country better. I also think that police should reflect, to some extent, the people they police. So personally, being liberal and living in a liberal area, I’d prefer to have more liberal cops. I think the streets would be safer.
I appreciate you not hating me for having a college degree. I’m sorry you’re against higher education in general because of the generally liberal bias. But that’s why you take many professors, to hear all different perspectives.
Peter
As a conservative, who believes in small,local government, I too agree that liberals should police liberals etc. Many police departments are too big and the federal government has taken over too many policing roles.
At some core level, I think it’s important to remember that police are there for the people, not to be an occupying force.
The people (whoever that is) should have some say over who polices them.
As a police officer, why should I police a neighborhood that doesn’t want me? Let them figure their own problems out.
Of course I know it’s never that simple. A neighborhood has more than one voice.
But I think it’s important to keep the basic concept in mind, the Peelian principal that the police are the public and the public is the police, the police are simply paid to do the duties that that every citizen should do.