Police to citizens: Shut up, smile, and be good little serfs
Peoria Police Chief
Frankly, I'm surprised that Settingsaard decided to back the officer so completely. I've usually found Settingsgaard to more sensitive to the public when dealing with officers who behave badly. But Settingsgaard this time decided that Terry Beachler -- businessman and taxpayer -- was rude and thus deserved to get handcuffed like a common criminal. After all, he made a police officer show his badge for more than a slit second, thereby making the officer wait a whole whopping 20 seconds as he wrote the badge number down. Good heavens.
Apparently, Mr. Beachler didn't get the memo that says whenever a member of a law enforcement agency sends someone in disguise into your store to deliberately try to trick you into breaking a law, you are supposed to smile like a fool and thank them for stopping by for coffee. In the real world, people resent police officers looking at them like nothing more than potential criminals. It happens so much these days that law-abiding citizens begin to feel like sheep being herded by the very wolves who want to feed on them. So if they are going to conduct these stings, the last thing officers need to do act thugs for no reason at all.
I've heard the tape. Was the officer a tad agitated? You bet. If any private citizen exploded like that, the clerk would have been justified in calling a cop and having the guy removed. Did the officer have the right to feel agitated. Perhaps. But is his job to deal with citizens in a polite and courteous manner regardless of whether or not he's agitated at them. Absolutely, positively yes. In the private sector, employees are required to deal with rude and cantankerous customers without losing their cool. I once worked in a small town that fired an officer because he thought he was too good to shake the hand of a citizen in a bar. But this Peoria officer did more than lose his cool. He abused the power of his badge and placed the source of his agitation under arrest. Why? Because he had the power to do so (the theft charge was bogus and wasn't prosecuted), and apparently no one in a position of authority to tell him he was wrong thinks what he did was wrong. That frightens the Hell out of me. I'm wondering how many other people in Peoria have been placed under arrest not because they committed a real crime, but because a Peoria Police officer was sick of dealing with him.
And I'm concerned that if this problem of angry cops exploding at citizens isn't addressed, how long before some police officer feels justified in beating the crap out of someone for making a sarcastic comment, or heaven forbid, making the officer wait for a few seconds. Were I a member of the Peoria City Council, I'd be worried enough to instruct the city manager to take steps to ensure it is addressed, regardless of the police chief's opinion.
If Settingsgaard addressed the issue of whether or not Beachler had the right to confiscate the ID, it isn't mentioned in the article. Do shopkeepers have the right to hold onto fake IDs or not? Does the police department want shopkeepers to hand back these fake IDs or not. If Beachler committed theft by holding onto ID used in the sting, then he must also be committing theft when he holds onto fake IDs used by other teenagers. If so, that means every other shopkeeper is doing the same thing. But then, every other shop keeper didn't commit the ultimate sin of making an officer wait for 20 seconds.
Well, which is it, Chief? All or nothing. Do you want shop keepers to help stop illegal cigarette and alcohol sales or do you want them handing back the fake IDs to try again somewhere else? Pick one. It can't be both.
Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.
2 comments:
Unbelievable.
The worst part about this story is that Officer Scott Jordan is authorized to carry firearms and use lethal force at his own discretion. In the future, we can look forward to even more disastrous results from him blowing his top.
For the sake of public safety, this "public servant" shouldn't be on the force. He's a lawsuit waiting to happen.
While there was no foul language in the recording, the police officer was clearly out of line for his abusive, overbearing, and bullying attitude.
If, during my more that 25 years of working for religious and medical institutions and for state government, I EVER treated anybody in a similar manner as Mr. Jordan, I would have been summarily fired. There would have be no 30 day suspension pending discharge
Regardless of how the recording was obtained, the behavior of Mr. Jordan is indefensible. A just solution would to drop any charges with deepest and abject apologies against Mr. Beachler. Mr. Jordan ought to be disciplined for conduct unbecoming an officer. As part of his sentence, he should be made to attend anger management classes, make a written and verbal apology to Mr. Beachler. I think a week off without pay is fair. Once Mr. Jordan is back to work, he should be removed from the streets and confined to desk duty.
Left by Ex-public servant on April 13th, 2007
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