thatajv t1_j12o87p wrote on December 21, 2022 at 5:39 AM

What is your motivation for starting a career in law enforcement? If it’s to serve your community and help people, there are far better options than serving in an institution that is inextricably linked to slavery and, in the case of MPD, mired in corruption.

The advice of other commenters is salient and, while I may have policy disagreements with some folks, you have a ton of good advice in the thread.

If you do take the leap into law enforcement, please be one of the good ones.

drr71-2 t1_j15t67c wrote on December 21, 2022 at 9:47 PM

How is MPD linked to slavery? And what corruption cases have there been in the last 10-20 years? I can't recall any news stories of corruption in MPD.

thatajv t1_j15tbup wrote on December 21, 2022 at 9:48 PM

Policing as an institution is rooted in slavery.

drr71-2 t1_j15ujl7 wrote on December 21, 2022 at 9:56 PM

??????

thatajv t1_j15uweo wrote on December 21, 2022 at 9:59 PM

I’m not gonna teach you the history of policing. There are plenty documentaries and scholarly articles readily available online.

As far as your corruption question, here’s just one example: https://revealnews.org/article/dc-police-tried-to-fire-24-current-officers-for-criminal-offenses/

drr71-2 t1_j15w8ap wrote on December 21, 2022 at 10:08 PM

There's no mention of bribes or corruption in that article. The laws those officers allegedly broke should certainly have landed them in court and fired if found guilty, but to say someone shouldn't become an officer in MPD because a few cops in there allegedly broke some laws a few years back makes no sense. If you're only going to work at places where no one has ever broken laws.... enjoy your unemployment.

And I'll wait for you to tell me how the police are so tied to slavery that no one should work for them.

thatajv t1_j15x44n wrote on December 21, 2022 at 10:14 PM

Then you’ll be waiting for a long time. Like I said, I’m not gonna teach you the history of policing.

I also never said that OP shouldn’t become an officer with MPD or any other police force in the DMV. I asked what their motivation was and even commended other commenters for their good, salient advice.

Did I inject some of my own take on policing as an institution and include a gripe about MPD? Of course I did. It’s the internet. It’s what we all do. OP asked for “any and all accounts and opinions of the department” from this sub, so I gave my opinion. OP is free to take it or leave it.

thatajv t1_j14lge1 wrote on December 21, 2022 at 5:03 PM

lol/smh at getting downvoted for this incredibly mild comment