Editor:
I remember from my childhood, the police officers that came to our elementary school to speak with the kids.
Constable Chisholm is who came to my school, oddly enough, I remember him 40 years later.
In those days, most people admired police officers because they looked after us, they were there to help.
I see now how drastically that way of thinking and attitude has changed.
I was pulled over the other week.
It was justified.
I was talking on my phone at a stop light.
As the constable came to give me my ticket, I distinctly remember her attitude.
I am 25 years older than her, I still believe in respecting our elders.
I gather this is not part of the mandate for hiring constables.
This constable, in a rude tone, said to me, “You have your child in the car, try and be a role model.”
Even though I was in the wrong, her rude manner, is unacceptable.
She’s simply there to uphold a law and produce the ticket, not offer her version of parenting skills or a moral judgment.
She obviously missed a whole section on human relations along with communication, or perhaps it’s not even in their training anymore.
A cashier, plumber, maintenance worker or police officer, to me, they’re all one and the same.
They have a job to do, they work for the public and should conduct themselves professionally and respectfully.
My 13-year-old daughter, unfortunately for the constable, has never seen me being talked to so rudely by a random stranger.
She was so shocked by the constable’s attitude and condescending manner.
Her only comment was, “I can see why people hate cops.”
That was the ‘role model’ this constable exemplified to my child that day.
Although, I have an almost spotless driving record with no accidents and 1 ticket over the course of 30-plus years, I was wrong to be using my phone.
On the other hand, I was unaware employees of the RCMP are allowed to be rude, disrespectful and condescending.
Over the years, I’ve heard many unhappy people who no longer regard the police as a safe haven.
In fact, because of this ridiculous intimidation attitude that appears to be part of the job, along with the condescending, disrespectful demeanour, more often than not, negativity and distrust is the way many people I have noticed now view the RCMP.
The tasering, the public beatings, the sexual harassment, the ‘gang’ mentality, the so-called ‘internal’ reviews and the cover-ups in the news, that’s our future.
The days of Constable Chisholm are gone, my daughter actually understands why “people hate the cops.’
I think it’s a sad state of affairs and I’m not exactly sure in our current culture, who really “protects” the people and where the safe haven is.
It certainly doesn’t appear to be with the RCMP.
Mary French
Smithers