At some point, we must hold police officers accountable for their interactions with the public ("Freddie Gray case: The key people in the trial of Baltimore police officer Edward Nero," May 12).
We have been presented, and in some cases accepted, the following excuses for deviant behavior by officers: inadequate training, failure to read directives sent out by the department and officers' belief that discretion in adhering to agency policies and guidelines is their right.
Each time misconduct is brought up, absent irrefutable facts, the officers' actions are quickly justified, and those expressing a contrary opinion are dismissed as biased against police.
Some would have the public believe the very nature of police work gives rise to complaints against officers. They stress that police work is inherently dangerous. Or they further this position by labeling certain parts of the city as "high crime areas."
This "area labeling" in effect authorizes officers to consider anyone within the area "fair game" – people who lack any rights that police are bound to respect.
"Probable cause" within these areas can mean a person looked at me or looked away from me; walked toward me or walked away from me; or simply stood on a corner with a group of people.
These are all acceptable justifications for officers to "jack" people and search them. If something is found, the report after the fact will detail the probable cause that justified the stop. If nothing is found, the person or group will be told to disperse and it's on to the next victim.
These practices are especially prevalent in specialized units. The specialized units are a shift commanders nightmare because they provoke so many complaints.
If an area is deemed a "high crime area" one would expect surveillance would establish that suspected activity is occurring and that there is probable cause to take action.
An honest mistake can be corrected. However, to ignore or excuse an ongoing problem regarding police misconduct will only ensure some officers will continue to flout the law and disregard department rules and regulations.
Lloyd G. Caster
The writer is a retired police sergeant.