Does the end always justify the means? Is it ok for a police officer to lie and get a known criminal off the street? Is it ok for a police officer to lie about your speeding ticket just to meet his quota for the month?

Does the end always justify the means? We know a criminal on the street is just a crime looking to happen. We know that eventually, you are going to speed. Moreover, we know that if an officer does not issue enough traffic citations it looks bad for his performance evaluation.

This is a dangerous situation, especially when the police apply this principal. More and more we are reading reports of situations just like this.

In Fort Worth, Texas, police officers were encouraged to keep the homeless from entering the downtown area. They would wait until a homeless person bought food, and then they would find an excuse to question that person. During the questioning officers would “accidentally” step several times on the fast food lunch of the person they were questioning.

In Dallas Texas, several officers would “arrest” several persons and let them go if they would sign several blank citations. The Officers would then complete the ticket as needed. Several women were cited for “prostitution” among other things. The persons cited would then have no knowledge of the ticket and not show up for the court date. This caused another charge to be added, “Failure to appear”.

A couple of years ago, Dallas Officers would arrest undocumented aliens plant a kilo of white powder (mostly chalk) on them and charge them with felony drug possession. Many family men went to prison needlessly. But then many Police Officers were given high marks for arresting and convicting drug dealers.

Tonight on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Katie Couric will interview an indicted police officer that contends that his superiors not only knew but also encouraged officers to lie under oath so that convictions could be made.

The goal of the police department was to get the drugs and guns off the street at any cost and by any method. The end justifies the means. Therein lies the danger.

After a while, the officers decided they were the law and could do no wrong. Therefore, they started keeping drug money that had been confiscated and lying on the police reports. Then as police officers immune from the law (because they are the law {whom you are you going to call - the police?} and can do no wrong) they started committing armed robberies and assaults.

Often the police will take the law into their own hands becoming prosecutor, judge and executioner. How many times have we seen, on television, officers beating a suspect? On the television show “COPS”, officers will sometimes verbally berate a suspect. Maybe it makes for an interesting show, but where in the law does it say “…after arresting, verbally berate suspect“.

I confess, I too have been known to applaud the efforts of the police to “clean up” our city at any cost. Then upon reflection, I become ashamed at my betrayal of our constitution. Our forefathers gave us rights for a reason. I think I am finally starting to understand why.

Upon deeper reflection, it crosses my mind that but for the grace of god there go I. Have you ever been wrongly given a traffic ticket? Do you know someone that has been wrongly cited? The young women that signed blank citations and were later wrongly cited for prostitution could be my daughters, or yours. The young man wrongly cited for speeding just so the officer can make his quota, could be my son, or yours. The end justifies the means?

Most officers are never caught. Those that are caught are given light sentences. Most officers are never caught because when the offence gets to court, who is the jury going to believe? In court for a traffic offence (speeding, stop sign, etc.) it is the word of a police officer, sworn to tell the truth and to serve and protect, against that of a citizen on the way to work.

There is a solution. The solution is bitter and hard to swallow. The police should not be allowed to police themselves. Committees made up of citizens should investigate complaints against police officers. It just makes no sense for the wolf to guard the hen house. Secondly, our police officers should be held to a higher standard than average citizens. Any police officer convicted of breaking the law under the color of authority should be sentenced to a minimum of 40 to 50 years in prison with no chance for early release.