The vast number of people who are demanding the defunding or decimation of police budgets have little or no appreciation of what the police actually do in and for our society. I would like to submit just one scenario:
As a young Portland Police sergeant, I was dispatched to an apartment on Clark Street in Portland’s West End.
A distraught father was threatening to torch his baby girl. He had soaked her clothing in gasoline and was threatening to “flick (his) Bic.” I want to assure you that I know of no police department or police academy that prepares you for this contingency. This is where years of street experience and compassion for the victim comes into play.
After an hour or more of negotiating with “Dad,” to no avail, I decided to force entry. With the help of two patrolmen and a Portland firefighter (armed with an extinguisher), we rescued the baby, who was indeed soaked with gasoline. And Dad was in possession of his Bic lighter.
This, and similar events, are what cops do daily throughout this country.
The Portland Police Department is comprised of a vast majority of sincere, decent and courageous men and women. Are they perfect? No. And that is because they are drawn from humanity. I also know that they are disgusted at and ashamed of what happened to George Floyd three weeks ago in Minneapolis.
Michael G. McDonough
Cumberland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.