documentaries

[MumblesBadly]

With all the arguments about police shootings I am surprised this film has not received more attention. The main character in the film is a former Sheriff who founded the SWAT team 30yrs earlier that kill his son in law during a stand off. It is not a sensationalized documentary. It is an examination of cause and effect of policy and training. Worth the time. I found it on Vodlocker. Here are some of the review snippets from the films home

I think too many people have too much invested in the game to admit it's out of control. Having strong political ties only makes it more idifficult to imagine change will come sooner than later.

PEACE OFFICER is an intersting title.

While I agree the 'invested interest' motive is a huge factor, I also think that group-think by well-meaning folks in LE prevents them from recognizing the enormity of the problem.

Case in point: One of my nephews is a 10-year veteran as a police officer, having worked with numerous LE departments in the wider area of his state on special assignments, and became a state trooper this year. We recently discussed/debated this issue after I responded to a Facebook post he made dismissing the concerns over heavy-handedness in policing. From his comments in that private discussion, he completely believes that there is no systemic problem in policing in America and that the press reports over it are due to political ramble rousing. And that police departments in America are essentially properly identifying and handling "bad apples" on their forces....

You can imagine that I was deeply saddened to hear this from him, as I know him to have a great deal of personal integrity. Because, sadly, it speaks volumes of how he, as a veteran police officer, as been inculcated into the closed-ranks self-justifying culture of American law enforcement.