One or two proverbial bad apples, regardless of the profession or position in life, are all it takes to tarnish the reputations of an otherwise great bunch.
Just ask any politician, lawyer, journalist or even a teenager for that matter. They are altogether too familiar with this type of stereotypical projection from the public, which all too often seems to allow one or a few isolated instances to form ó or perhaps rather distort ó their entire perspective based on the actions of a few.
Unfortunately, police officers are not immune to this.
Many dedicated members who strive to diligently as well as selflessly serve and protect their communities sometimes tend to get lumped together as power tripping glory hounds by some members of the public.
There's an old adage that expresses the idea that a person or organization could do a million things right, but people will be quick to forget about all of that instantly if that person or organization does just one single thing wrong.
So a little bit of introspective reflection can go a long way towards dispelling certain unfounded stereotypes.
Among the RCMP's main priorities are to keep the peace, not ruin people's fun, the Sundre detachment's Cpl. Joe Mandel told the Round Up.
"We want to make sure everyone's getting along."
Educating the public is always prioritized ahead of punitive enforcement measures, he said.
To illustrate that point, the corporal invited the Round Up on a ride along to observe a night patrol on Friday, May 19 ó essentially the kickoff to the first major long weekend of the camping season. This journalist without a doubt appreciated being offered the chance to personally see what the police do, even if the ride along represented but a tiny glimpse into the overall police experience.
From engaging motorists at a check stop to following up on a firearm complaint at a campsite with dozens of partying young adults and finally dealing with an impaired driver, the numerous interactions the officer had throughout the night were calm, courteous and even at times friendly.
Although he confessed in some situations to having to become more assertive with certain individuals who simply would never respond to a passive, quiet officer in the first place, the corporal strives to exude professional conduct that does not resort to aggression, a trait he also tries to impart to less experienced officers who are still learning the ropes.
That's certainly what I observed that night. Approaching alone or with only one or two other officers at night a scene with dozens of partiers ó some of whom are no doubt plenty inebriated ó would be somewhat intimidating. After all, people who are impaired by drugs or alcohol are unpredictable at the best of times. Some might be jovial and euphoric, but others might be struggling with anger or mental issues that can be amplified when intoxicated.
In the end, police officers are people too. They are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives. They have hopes, dreams, concerns, and they pay their taxes just like everyone else. Except they leave their own families behind on busy weekends such as May long to ensure the safety of others. They run into situations the rest of us are trying to safely get away from.
So never let the actions of a few tarnish the reputations of the many.
The next time you hear about an officer facing accusations of abuse of power, try to remember the fact that there are many more who are doing their jobs with selfless dedication to their communities.
