Less Police, More Firemen

I have the luxury of living within a mile from where I work. Unlike the majority of my working brethren, I have not commuted to work since 2003. As much as I would like to attribute my non-commuting lifestyle to my savvy career choices, my ability to walk and/or bike to work is more happenstance than sound planning. The benefits of not having to spend an hour (or more) in an automobile every day need not be repeated here...especially in light of the recent spike in fuel prices.

My twenty minute commute takes me past several government buildings in the Southwestern part of the District of Columbia. The neighborhoods are by and large poor, small businesses are non-existent (with the exception of a wonderful dry-cleaning service at the base of an eight story condo building), the streets and sidewalks are lined with garbage and in various states of disrepair. At first glance, one might label my surroundings as typical of inner-city lifestyle...and they are probably right. After all, as I am continually reminded by residents who have lived in Southwest much longer than me, just five years ago Southwest used to be what could loosely be termed a "war zone." It was not until the city decided to build a (mostly tax payer subsidized) new stadium for the city's awful baseball team that Southwest started to clean itself up.

But my point is not to dive in to the inherent evils of taxpayer-funded stadiums so suburbanites can watch an uninspired and unexciting baseball team struggle to score runs 81 times per season. The other day I attended my first Nationals game, and the team played so poorly they killed my happy hour buzz (they lost, 6-0). Outdoor baseball on a warm summer evening is one of those uniquely American experiences, but the Nats do a pretty good job of smashing any nostalgic tendencies one might feel upon entering the park.

The reason? In what could be termed a uniquely DC experience, fans entering the vicinity of Nationals Park are literally surrounded by police officers. My commute includes traversing about five blocks of the area surrounding Nationals Park, and in the evenings I enjoy making my way through the jovial baseball fans during the pregame rush to ballpark. Kidding aside, I see no less than ten police vehicles (crossing guards not included) and never fewer than 25 uniformed police officers patrolling the five-plus blocks around the northern portion of Nationals Park. Why are they there? I have no idea. Some of the police officers are outfitted in the latest intimidating garb: black military-style uniforms, automatic weapons, sometimes police dogs at their sides. I shudder to think how the young parent explains the overwhelming police presence while taking his child to his or her first professional baseball game.

Just a few blocks past the park is the neighborhood firehouse. Regardless of the weather, the firemen are usually outside doing what firemen do best during idle time: washing their trucks, cleaning the floor in the garage, and fatassing on the small patio outside the main entrance. From the looks of things, there's general camaraderie amongst firemen, I suppose camaraderie is to be expected from people who share a common love for rescue and safety of the citizens they protect.

Although they perform separate duties within the community, there are many similarities between police forces and fire departments. Certainly, both occupations are dangerous and demand of their people the ability to make the right decision in times of crisis. Both need to be able to act quickly in order to save lives, often times venturing into harm's way to save those lives. In short, both professions carry with them an element of danger, and only the best and the bravest are fit to perform such arduous duty (at least theoretically).

To me, the only similarities that exist between firemen and police officers are confined to the theoretical--and therefore not practical--realm. The differences, on the other hand, are manifold, and stem from the nature of the respective departments: fire departments are a reactionary force, and police departments are a progressive/aggressive force. In other words, firemen only act when needed, whereas police are an active, investigative body.

Think about it: when was the last time you saw a fireman patrolling your neighborhood? With the exception of the movie Backdraft, firemen are not in the business of creating work for themselves...and for good reason. When the bell rings at the firehouse, it means lives are at stake and property is being damaged. Firemen respond to damages to property and life, and work to minimize its impact.

Conversely, the police department is by and large an aggressive or progressive force. Whereas a firehouse spends its idle time washing their vehicles and swapping tall tales, police officers spend their idle time patrolling, watching, and investigating. On non-baseball days, I still see no less than five patrol cars on my walk home. Five. Why? I suspect most people would answer that police presence prevents crimes from being committed. But this claim is as laughable as it is absurd. If an increased police presence truly led to a decrease in crime, then DC should be completely free from crime. We've got Federal Police, Military Police, Department of Homeland Security Police, Federal Housing Authority Police (?), the list goes on. The point is, as an aggressive force, the police are failing--and failing miserably--to achieve their stated objective to protect and serve the people. Is it possible that the inherent aggressiveness of police officers contributes to the high crime rates in DC?

Second, imagine if a fire department had to meet monthly quotas in order to justify their existence. Madness! Yes, I realize this example is a bit extreme and not every police department operates on the quota system, but I feel the comparison provides valuable insight into understanding why one force is progressive in nature and the other is reactive. In the absence of crimes committed, police departments will inevitably "create" crimes. Or, they might choose to simply enforce some of the more obscure, unknown "crimes" in their code. This might mean increasing the amount of tickets for non-crimes, including things like jaywalking, speeding, or riding a bicycle without a helmet. Predictably, the result of this increased ticketing is always loss of personal liberty, for an idle cop is a ticketing cop.

For an example of this, consider the state of Maryland's removal of all traffic light cameras. The cameras were not removed out of respect for motorists' privacy or because the cameras are incapable of proving driver guilt, they were removed because drivers started to obey the law. The result of Maryland citizenry's compliance with the law is decreased revenue to police departments. If you are still having a difficult time accepting my quota statement for police departments, the situation described above should help shed some light on the real reasons why police departments are an aggressive force.

Finally, the fireman (or woman) enjoys widespread respect within a community. The complaints about the loudness and irregularity of their sirens notwithstanding, do you know anyone who genuinely does not like the fire department? My guess is no. The reason for the fire department's widespread respect are legion, but I think they all have their roots in the fire department's protection of life and property. When not called to action, the fire department is content to leave the general population in peace.

Police, on the other hand, are by and large feared within a community. It seems every day a new video surfaces alleging some degree of police brutality. Police are shown at their worst - pulling people out of their vehicles and tasing them, forcefully evicting residents from their private property during natural disasters, and harassing citizens for sundry non-violent "crimes" like drug possession or taking videos or pictures. Indeed, a strong case could be made that the reason police are not respected is because they do not respect you. The police officer's primary function is to protect themselves (and their fellow officers) against you, not to protect and serve the citizenry.

Police officers and firemen are often lumped into the same category when discussing community heroes, yet in my mind the two are diametrically opposed to each other, especially concerning their role in society. To me, equating police officers with firemen is an attempt to equate fear and respect - an impossibility if ever one existed. Yet today the line between respect and fear is blurred, further complicating the relationship between a police force and the community it is sworn to protect. There are few things in life that I genuinely fear, but near the top (if not at the top) of the list is being interrogated by a police officer. I recently viewed a few short videos that were created to inform citizens of their rights when confronted by a police officer. The message in each video was clear and consistent: you have nothing to gain (and everything to lose) by voluntarily speaking with police officers. Whatever happened to the friendly, venerable neighborhood cop?

One of the traits of a police state is when a society obeys orders, not laws. Sadly, when I walk past the overwhelming police presence at Nationals Park, I cannot help but wonder about the increasing relevance of that admonition.

But I am not without hope, for after making my way through the security gauntlet blanketing Nationals Park, I once again pass by the firehouse. The workers are outside, one older man is smoking a cigarette and fiddling with his mustache. An awkward tattoo adorns his upper arm and is visible only because he has rolled up his sleeves to work on one of the engines. He doesn't know when the alarm will sound again, but he knows when it does he will be ready to save lives and protect property. There's no fear, no coercion, no quotas, no harassment: only action.

The answer to a more peaceful society may not be less police officers, but instead more police officers acting like firemen. I hope that day comes soon.