OPEN LETTER TO COPS FROM AN ATTORNEY THAT SUES THE BAD ONES
Dear Cops,
I do not hate you, although I am accused of hating you practically every day. The truth is that facets of my job involve holding bad cops accountable, just as your job is to hold bad citizens accountable. This can be easily misconstrued as hate, when in reality, I am simply holding bad cops to the same Constitution that all cops swear to protect and defend. I refuse to generalize your entire profession because of the bad cops that I deal with and I hope you will do the same with all classifications of people. Here is what I really think about cops:
1) It makes me sad when good cops are blighted by the bad cops. This
blight will always be present until the good cops take action to
eradicate the bad cops. Good cops need to love their community enough to
pull other cops aside when they do wrong, step in to stop a situation
when it goes badly, and turn in bad cops when they refuse to correct
their behavior. America needs leaders that will actively correct the
hurt feelings and lost trust.
2) I respect cops that honor their sworn duty to protect and defend the Constitution. This means that a good cop knows the Constitution, understands the Constitution, and honestly strives to protect and defend the Constitutional rights of all people. A good cop realizes that the Constitution makes their job harder (as it limits government action), but protects and defends it anyway because it is the right thing to do.
3) I honor cops that are honest in all of their dealings. These are the cops that value evidence over hunches, and truth over loyalty. They do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. These are the cops that resist the urge to exaggerate even though the slightest exaggeration makes their job easier, and tell the truth even when the truth could hurt them or hurt the people they call brothers/sisters. These cops have a heart of gold, impeccable integrity and deserve to be honored.
4) I look up to cops that exercise charity and empathy for the citizens they serve. By charity, I mean that the law enforcement officer has a general and sincere love for people, try to look at situations from other’s perspectives, and are kind. Charity never fails.
I believe that we can do better and change things for good. My door is open if you have any suggestions as to how to accomplish this. Sadly, my numerous efforts to reach out and work with cops locally have been mostly unsuccessful, with certain cops even challenging me to “sue us”. Until we can work together, we all are forced to work in a system where substantive change is only accomplished through law suits, press stories, and court battles. There has to be a better way.
Sincerely,
Stephen P. Stubbs, Esq
702-493-1040
Ps. You can replace the word “cop” with “attorney” and I feel the same way.
2) I respect cops that honor their sworn duty to protect and defend the Constitution. This means that a good cop knows the Constitution, understands the Constitution, and honestly strives to protect and defend the Constitutional rights of all people. A good cop realizes that the Constitution makes their job harder (as it limits government action), but protects and defends it anyway because it is the right thing to do.
3) I honor cops that are honest in all of their dealings. These are the cops that value evidence over hunches, and truth over loyalty. They do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. These are the cops that resist the urge to exaggerate even though the slightest exaggeration makes their job easier, and tell the truth even when the truth could hurt them or hurt the people they call brothers/sisters. These cops have a heart of gold, impeccable integrity and deserve to be honored.
4) I look up to cops that exercise charity and empathy for the citizens they serve. By charity, I mean that the law enforcement officer has a general and sincere love for people, try to look at situations from other’s perspectives, and are kind. Charity never fails.
I believe that we can do better and change things for good. My door is open if you have any suggestions as to how to accomplish this. Sadly, my numerous efforts to reach out and work with cops locally have been mostly unsuccessful, with certain cops even challenging me to “sue us”. Until we can work together, we all are forced to work in a system where substantive change is only accomplished through law suits, press stories, and court battles. There has to be a better way.
Sincerely,
Stephen P. Stubbs, Esq
702-493-1040
Ps. You can replace the word “cop” with “attorney” and I feel the same way.