Bad apples

Every profession has its bad apples. Everyone I know has had some stress this season. Even the dang cats are grouchy - they want to be outdoors but cannot find their snowshoes.

I read a blog about a citizen in Ottawa trying to figure out what was going on in the street. She was watching Ottawa police intervene in a situation and found she was given a hard time for photographing an incident. (Go here to read & see photos. There is an up dated post, as well.) She was advocating for someone obviously in distress. It seems to me that this is only one instance of bullying tactics by our police forces. The problem is we do not laud those who do their jobs well. We give attention to those who do not. It is important to celebrate the positive as much as the negative in society.

What a story. It is so very different in small towns. We know and work with those on the force, or know someone who does, or live near someone who does. We know their names and their reputations. Most of our OPP do a phenomenal job.

This officer is not representative of all police officers. Let us hope this post will make a difference in the life of the victim and the officer to improve delivery of protective services.

Publishing photos, I always try to ask permission. The police want the photo erased.