PAX Centurion - January / March 2016

Page 16 • PAX CENTURION • January/March 2016 617-989-BPPA (2772) By James W. Carnell, Pax Editor Boston Police Academy class loses about 25 recruits in first few months of training LevelTwoExams stillahead…naturalattritioncauses realneed for increase inBPDstreet-levelmanpower (Editor’s Note: This article is in no way, shape or form a criti- cism of our very fine, outstanding BPD Academy instructors, staff or BPD management itself. It is reflective of a dangerous trend in law enforcement recruiting and a negative public attitude towards law enforcement in general.) I t appears that the current BPDAcademy class has lost up to about 25 new recruits in the first few months of training, before the final academic (AKA “Level Two”) exams have been given. The class originally numbered 90 recruits, but began actually with 89, (70 Boston/19 other depts.) as one accepted candidate apparently decided at the last minute simply to not show up. (…Perhaps s/he knows something the rest of us don’t????) As of March 1 st , there were 53 remaining Boston police recruits and 14 remaining from outside departments, a rate of about 25% lost for a variety of reasons. That’s probably par for the course. After level two academic testing, continued physical training, and other issues that sometimes occur with certain recruits; the BPD will probably gain about 50 recruit officers. In 2016, that’s not even replacing for attrition… The BPD is an aging department, with many officers hired in the 80’s and early 90’s getting set to retire. And as increasing scrutiny and added duties are placed upon us, older and older officers are bearing the burden. It is, without a doubt, a younger-man’s job. Fifty and sixty-year old officers should not be expected to be rolling around on Boylston St. or Tremont St. or State St. after the bars let out at 2:00 AMwith 23-year old, jacked-up, drunk and high muscle-heads. Or chasing gang-bangers-through the projects. Or answering domestic violence calls that occur at the same house over and over again. And yet, that’s what’s happening…Apparently, the Boston Fire Depart- ment Academy graduated ALL 50 of their recruits, some of whom belonged to neighboring Quincy, ALL of whom were veterans, and nine of whom were former cops who left to take the firemen’s posi- tion. Good for them!!!. Some of the prospective recruits dropped out of the BPDAcad- emy within days or weeks, for a variety of reasons, ranging from physical injuries, academic difficulties or simply being overwhelmed at their personal perceptions of the police job versus the actual reality . Sadly, we can only be assured that others will fail or drop out before the end of their training in late spring/early summer. These new recruits will be sorely needed, of course, but will do little to stem the annual summertime onslaught of ordered, mandatory overtime shifts (not only double-shifts, but triple-shifts….. and even during this past winter). Society itself has placed unreasonable demands, enormous pres- sures and withering scrutiny upon the shoulders of police officers. No wonder recruiters across the country report difficulty attracting qualified, interested, suitable candidates. From body-cameras to use-of-force issues to the fact that if you hurt someone’s feelings or say something that another person misinterprets, the police officer is, in today’s upside-down world, presumed wrong. No wonder the Fire department has no problem attracting quality candidates while police departments do. The BPPA will, of course, welcome with open arms all who graduate from our Academy. We thank the staff of the BPDAcademy for their hard work and commitment, and realize that there is little they themselves can do to deal with the issues that society itself has created. But it is a sad commentary that we will be welcoming only about 50 recruits when, back in the 80’s, Academy classes consisted of 120 and even 150 recruit officers. And back then, people were fighting to get on the job, not off it… I realize that you are in the business of writing stories to sell news- papers or possibly get some type of response. I am however, a bit surprised that in conducting research for your article you didn't bother to pick up the phone and call me to at least ask for a comment, especially considering your article is based on my statements made in the aftermath of yet another Police Officer shot. After reading your article I will offer you my unsolicited comments anyway. Insofar as what constitutes an “assault,” I believe associate profes- sor and ex-Lt. Tom Nolan should go back and do a little research on the English language and the Law. Just because a Police Officer is not murdered by gunfire or a bullet actually hits them during an ‘assault,’ that does not negate the ‘assault.’ The FBI tracks Officers actually struck by bullets, or other objects resulting in death or injury, NOT all assaults against Officers. Simply pointing a weapon at someone is considered an assault, firing a weap- on at someone is considered an assault, striking the individual with the bullet is the ‘battery’ thus you have an assault & battery or assault & battery with (or by means of) a dangerous weapon, (in the case of Letter to the Boston Globe, Re: “War on cops” (1-12-16) a gun). So if we're going to play with words, as ex-Lt. Nolan always has and continues to do, let's try and keep to the facts. He and our ex-commissioner are correct, the FBI stats speak for themselves inso- far as, ‘assault & battery’ committed against Police Officers, because that is exactly what those stats reflect and track, NOT assaults, the FBI does not tract all assaults. I stand by my statement; “It’s far too common for people to take shots at police officers, (which once again is the assault), in this country, this has become a daily occurrence... and people should be outraged.” Furthermore, I will attribute Officer’s survival rate after being shot with the simple fact that more Police Officers now wear bullet resistant vests today than years ago and quite frankly our EMT’s are the finest in the world. I sincerely hope that you, ex-Lt. Nolan or anyone else is not sug- gesting that a Police Officer need be shot and killed or wounded for it to be considered an “assault!” – Patrick M. Rose, President, BPPA