Recently a group of us were having a conversation at a continuing education event with an officer of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department. It is an officer that I have known for more than a decade. I’ve been with that officer when he had to make death notifications to families. I’ve seen him in his role as an investigator in some difficult situations. I’ve taken classes that he has taught. I know him to be a very professional, competent, and caring person. He is the kind of person that we want to have as a law enforcement officer.

I don’t hang out with cops a whole lot, but as a Sheriff’s chaplain, I do spend time with patrol, corrections and warrant officers. I understand the structure of the Sheriff’s Office and have a sense of the scope of their work and the duties of the officers. I am honored to call some of those dedicated public servants my friends.

It could be that I’m being overly sensitive lately, or it could be the pressures of this particular time in the story of our community, or it could be the large amount of negative press that law enforcement officers have been receiving after incidents in Ferguson, Brooklyn, Rapid City, Los Angeles and a dozen other cities have demonstrated some of the imperfections of our very human system of justice. Like other institutions, there is entrenched racism in some law enforcement agencies. Like other systems, there are ways of doing business that are based not on the primary service objectives, but on expediency and more than a small amount of human greed and even laziness. In the midst of this mix, I also know that there are some really good people who are dedicated, professional, loyal servants.

There was, however, something in my conversation with my friend that I keep mulling in my mind. At first I thought that he sounded a bit harsher than he had before. In the course of the class, he demonstrated the skepticism that makes him a good investigator. He reported that he has seen too many really bad things done by people with good reputations and community position to remove anyone from his suspect list until he has carefully examined the evidence. That is as it should be. Investigators need to be aware of their biases and look past them. They are charged with looking for the truth and going beyond initial appearances. On the other hand, our system of justice is based on the presumption of innocence. We aren’t well served by officers who start to see everyone as a potential suspect.

We know that our system is imperfect. I’ve read the stories of innocent people who have served decades in prison. This Innocence Project has worked within the US system of justice to use DNA evidence to look at cases where people have been wrongly convicted. At the latest count they have participated in the exonerations of 329 innocent people who have served an average of 14 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. In addition, they have produced the evidence to lead to the conviction of 140 real perpetrators.

There are a lot of things that can lead to unjust results in the criminal justice system. Eyewitnesses can misidentify suspects. Forensic science can be improperly used. False confessions or admissions occur when people are under extreme stress. Officials engage in misconduct when the pressure is on to obtain a conviction. Informants have criminal motives to give false testimony. Accused people often receive inadequate defense in the court system. I know all of this. I also know that we have some really good people in the system who work hard every day to make sure that justice is properly carried out, that laws are properly enforced and that innocent people are protected.

What concerns me more than the errors and imperfections of our system is its effects on the people who work within it. I know young cops who are idealistic and energetic and who love their work because they feel that they can make a difference in our community. I also know cops who started out that way but now are burdened by the brokenness they see every day and put in their time counting the days until they can retire. Dealing with some of the ugliest sides of our community can wear a person down. Looking at crime scenes and responding to devastating accidents can take a toll. It isn’t the first time you see something that is bloody or unnatural. It is the cumulative effect of years of looking at things that people ought not to see. It comes from steeling yourself not to become overly emotionally involved with the people you serve. Then one day the victim happens to be the same age as your daughter, or you’ve looked at one too many gunshot wounds, or you’ve seen one too many drunken fights, or you’ve inserted yourself between one too many combatting couples and something in you becomes a bit less idealistic than you once were. Something inside you becomes a bit more hardened. Something in you starts to expect to see ugliness wherever you turn.

I don’t want to live in a community where everyone is a crime suspect. I don’t want to be seen as a crime suspect. And I don’t want my friends to see the world that way, either. I need good, professional cops who look not only for guilt, but also for innocence. I need prosecutors who can recognize innocence and care for victims as well as be tough on perpetrators. I need judges who understand the awesomeness of their power and recognize their humanness and the possibility of mistakes.

If I had the power, I would try to find a bit more vacation time for my officer friend. I’d try to find a few more opportunities for him to get away from his work and enjoy being with people he can trust. I’d remind him of his idealism when he was a young officer and I’d get him to tell some of the funny and pleasant stories that come from decades of working in law enforcement.

We all would do well to take care of the people who take care of us.

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