Pubdate: Fri, 30 Jan 2004
Source: Parksville Qualicum Beach News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Contact:  http://www.pqbnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1361
Author: Steven Heywood

NOT-SO-INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

Police are no longer 'out to bust heads' in the plainest meaning of the 
phrase. Gone are the days when a cop would lay a beating on a suspect to 
force a confession or put the fear of God into them.

At least, this is what we should expect from those who enforce the laws.

For some police officers, however, it seems that busting heads gives 
meaning to the phrase, 'walking the beat'.

Six Vancouver Police officers plead guilty recently to charges they had 
taken a suspected drug dealer into Stanley Park and put those 
WCB-regulation steel toe boots to him.

This week, two were fired by the department and the other four suspended. 
This was the minimum anyone should have expected, but there's argument that 
further punishment should've been given to the four who will keep their jobs.

If these officers stood around and did nothing, letting the beating 
continue - and asking your partners once or twice to stop doesn't count - 
they are just as guilty as those who did the actual kicking and punching.

Stopping those officers from actually carrying out the beating should have 
been their only option.

As bystanders, they earned a lesser punishment. But isn't that simply 
enabling someone to act irresponsibly? It's like being a witness to a 
schoolyard bully's antics at lunch time. It's guilt by association, 
certainly, but the fact that they didn't act as good samaritans is 
reprehensible.

I will give police officers a lot of leeway when it comes to their 
complaints of a 'revolving door' justice system. It seems like no matter 
what they do on the front lines, drug dealers and petty crooks end up back 
on the streets with less fear something bad (like going to jail) will 
happen to them. However, that doesn't mean they should be taking the law 
into their own hands. The consequences for beating the system shouldn't 
earn someone an actual beating.

It's also no good to throw our moral outrage toward criminals or the people 
who try to bring them in. It may sound like a lot of airy-fairy hooey, but 
people have to take responsibility - for their own actions, and for the 
actions of those around them. Let bad things happen while turning a blind 
eye, and you too are bystanders.
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