{"id":3366,"date":"2020-06-17T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=3366"},"modified":"2020-06-17T11:28:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-17T18:28:29","slug":"many-frontline-law-enforcement-officers-have-had-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=3366","title":{"rendered":"Many Frontline Law Enforcement Officers Have Had Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by David Leonhardi, President of the Deputy Sheriffs\u2019 Association of San Diego County<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“To Protect and to Serve” is a guiding creed for peace officers everywhere. Ask any San Diego County sheriff\u2019s deputy why he or she puts on the uniform and badge every day, and they\u2019ll tell you they are in it to serve their communities. We are a part of the communities we take an oath to protect and serve, which is why we are willing to lay down our lives in the line of duty. We care deeply about our communities, citizens, and the profession we have chosen to uphold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past weeks, the duty to protect and serve our communities has been tainted and called into question. In the last 30 days, more than 100 police officers and deputy sheriffs have been injured while on the job during protests, eight of which have lost their lives. Deputies read these headlines every day. Nevertheless, each morning we are still required to put on the uniform, show up to work, and stand across protest lines from our friends and neighbors, all while maintaining a high standard of professionalism.<\/span><\/p>\n

When deputies get up in the morning, after having worked a 12-hour shift the previous day defending our public buildings and those who serve in them, it’s hard not to feel the aches and pains of the countless bottles, bricks, rocks, and insults hurled at us just the day before. Still, we put on our uniforms, kiss our families, and head out to protect and serve the community.<\/span><\/p>\n

The frustration and anger felt by many in our communities is shared by our deputies \u2014\u00a0your neighbors, friends, and family members \u2014\u00a0who stand for justice and fairness in the face of lawlessness and violence every day. Some of the recent actions by law enforcement officers across the nation have left us saddened, fearful, and angry. We\u2019ve watched as some in our profession have betrayed the very oath they swore to uphold, and like many, we are angered by these acts.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as troubling and heart-wrenching as these situations are, as law enforcement we\u2019ve also had to sit back and watch as our profession is callously torn down. We\u2019ve silently watched the media show little regard for the data and zero concern for the validity of their claims, and we\u2019ve witnessed an increase in community fear-mongering, misinformation, and lack of respect for facts and statistics as a result. We\u2019ve fielded cries from our deputies as public attacks are not only relentless but are also many times erroneous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our members \u2014\u00a0the men and women of the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s Department \u2014\u00a0have had enough. I say it again: we have had enough. Many may think deputies and other law enforcement officers have the freedom to choose which laws they enforce and how they enforce them, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Deputies are trained according to standards set by legislators in Sacramento, and we enforce laws that come down from politicians and others in the government. We do recognize the need for change in other areas throughout the country, but we can be proud of the fact that San Diego is ahead of the curve when it comes to law enforcement training, practices, and policies.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>For instance, the San Diego County Sheriff\u2019s Department already has the following practices and principles in place that are being called for throughout the country:<\/span><\/p>\n