General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: My wife wasn't fond of cops before this past year now she has no respect for them. [View all]branford
(4,462 posts)I would just note a few quick points.
1. Most teachers have actual strict and severe legal obligations to protect children and report abuse and abusers. In fact, these duties might well exceed most officers obligations to report other officers. In a great many of the abuse cases, other teachers were quite willfully ignorant, just didn't care or did not want to get involved, or were actually dissuaded from reporting due to pressure from the union and loyalty and ostracization concerns, just like "rats" in the police department.
2. The argument that "if police don't like being likened to their worst members, then they need to get to work on enforcing the law upon their worst members," applies to any large group, particularly unionized public employees with distinct legal and ethical obligations. Again, the teachers are sadly always the best example, but it also applies to inspectors, revenue collection agents, social services, etc., groups known to have had legal problems in the past that proved deadly. (I'm reminded of a huge crane collapse in my Manhattan neighborhood a few years ago and the huge scandal concerning multiple inspectors and supervisors. The matter is still not resolved, and the union is fighting tooth and nail).
3. Not every "good" officer knows what the "bad" officers are doing. Many threads have been discussing the NYPD. The department has over 34,000 officers patrolling 8 million citizens, and is comprised of 5 or more unions, and that's not accounting for all the civilians and politicos in the department.