And soldiers aren’t police. Going from the armed forces to a police department may seem like a natural transition. It’s not. A different mentality is needed. Most soldiers can make the transition. Some can’t. De-emphasizing the military aspects of police departments would help.
Here’s an interesting article in the Austin Chronicle about the problem for some soldiers’ reentry into the police world.
Wow,that was a very timely and relevant piece to include on the blog Peter. Good work. The fact that policing in the US is becoming more militarized, whether the officers are or aren’t veterans, makes this story even more important. Officers and private citizens alike must become aware of the vast differences between civilian law enforcement and military units before those differences totally fade away. A good point to consider first would be the founders’ concerns about standing armies. In what ways have our modern police agencies come to resemble these armies? Anyway, great post.