In the book On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder lists the 20 personal strategies we must all display in order to fight dictatorship and save democracy.
Professor Snyder’s 7th Rule directly pertains to police. He states, “Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know the evils that have involved policemen finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say No.”
Police are essential in society to maintain order, to protect each of us from those who would do us wrongly, to respond to the situation that nobody else will, to investigate crimes, and at times to act as mediators between citizens in a conflict, educators on society’s rules and the rules of the road, and sometimes even social workers as well as guardians. But having these heavy roles do not excuse police misconduct, individual errors in judgment, misuse of the powers implicit to law enforcement and armed authority. A police officer is a “sworn officer,” which means that they have sworn to uphold laws, protect citizens without fear or favor, follow the laws of our state and our country, and ultimately to the Constitution.
We must respect our police, follow their direction, appreciate their role in our community, and appreciate the sacrifices that they make to carry out their roles. But we must never excuse or ignore police misconduct. Individual officers and their police departments can and do make mistakes which our local governments must confront, remediate, and rectify.
Please appreciate and support the Oak Park Police Department and its officers. We need them to ensure a safe and orderly village … but also always be ready to hold our police to account for their errors in a manner that is fair, equitable and just.
Frank Vozak
Oak Park