Police departments do immeasurable good

When one believes that racism is institutionalized, it becomes a seemingly logical step to do away with those institutions found guilty. Hence, given the recent tragic events and increased tensions, it is not surprising to see this idea increasing in popularity.

In her recent guest column in The Gazette, Laura Bergus of the Iowa City Council follows this logic by writing how armed police officers perpetuate violence and racism. Bergus writes that instead of having police officers who are commonly seen as threatening, Iowa City should invest in “trained professionals” like firefighters and paramedics who will respond to even possibly violent encounters with the intent to “minimize harm without causing pain.”

Thankfully, Bergus’s stance is more conservative and measured than some. Unfortunately, her reasoning and proposed solutions still miss the mark.

The insistence that we should want to live in a society without the need for policing reminds me of James Madison’s saying that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary.” However, we are not angels. We need government, we need laws and we need those whose job description it is to enforce it.

Furthermore, we need people who are in the right place at the right time to save a man from jumping off an overpass in desperation. We need people who will confront others about the horrors of illicit drug abuse, saving a woman’s unborn baby in the process. These courageous people are police officers, and we need them to do their job.

To be sure, there has been injustice. But in this throw-away society, the answer is not to abolish the police, just like the answer is not to get rid of lawyers when there is malpractice. The same goes for other honorable professions and institutions. Rather than rejecting the police and calling on other angels to help, we need to do as Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham says and heed the “better angels of our nature.”

What does this look like? It looks like recognizing the institutions that are striving to do good and buoying them up. It looks like partnering with the local police department to do a blood drive. It looks like doing things that improve your community and letting the police know that you are there to serve and protect the things within your sphere, just like they are welcome to serve and protect within theirs.

My frequent interactions around a cafeteria table with two retired cops turned college security officers has told me that police departments do immeasurable good, more than we give them credit for. To all wishing to defund or abolish the police, I ask you, are you willing to look for the good instead of the negative? Are you willing to make yourself a solution to the problem by heeding your better angels?

Without police officers, who would step in? Firefighters and paramedics have other duties and are not authorized to enforce the law. Additionally, paramedics specifically are woefully understaffed, underpaid and underappreciated. They need more support, not less.

The solution, therefore, is to keep the police institution, though flawed as it may seem. We need to remind ourselves that we need angels whose specific mission it is to serve and protect. In like manner, we need to heed the “better angels of our nature.” This transition will also take time, but it will be time well spent.

Jacob Olson lives in Iowa City and is a graduate student at the University of Iowa.