I will not judge a group based on the actions of a few. If the New York officers are found guilty of torturing a man with a toilet plunger, then they are criminals and deserve to go to jail. Indeed, they are police officers who don't deserve to wear a badge, but the truth is that they are few. Most officers are drawn to police work because of the challenge, the excitement and most important, the chance to make a difference. Today, across the country, there is a new level of professionalism.
Officers are much better trained than ever before.
In many instances, the line between proper and improper force is not so easy to draw. Attorneys and reporters have the luxury of analyzing an officer's actions weeks or months after the fact, and from a position of safety. When you watch someone strike another person with a baton, it seems to be a vicious act, but in most cases, it doesn't even stun the person. Officers are taught to strike at major nerve centers, which is supposed to stun the offender without causing serious damage. Most of the time it takes four or five strikes to get any result, and that is if you can strike accurately while someone is running or attacking.