Somebody please help me out here:

[Brigid]

Until recently, I would have assumed that if I went to the police academy here or anywhere else, I would spend a good amount of time learning to de-escalate dangerous situations and learning to deal with the disabled and mentally ill, as well as those under the influence of drugs or booze, or suffering from a medical condition like diabetic ketoacidosis.

Why is it that my thinking was apparently so wrong? Isn't that what cops spend most of their time doing? Why isn't dealing with situations without using a weapon considered a good thing?

[Cleita]

1. I hate to tell you, but every young person I ever knew who joined

a police agency because they really wanted to help and serve, were eventually faced with the reality that they were dealing with a pretty corrupt system. They either had to go along to get along or quit.

I had a very nice cop neighbor, who made a career of it, who once said he tried to enforce the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law, but it was often very hard to do so.

[elleng]

2. I may ask my son in law tomorrow,

or some other time. He's received awards repeatedly, is a deputy sheriff, as well as a member of the U.S. Marshall's service. He and his colleagues receive training annually.

[Cleita]

3. He's probably with a decent department.

Not all are corrupt but too many are.

[elleng]

4. Seems that way,

P.G. County, MD, but I haven't studied the subject.