Law enforcement officers across the country haven’t been scrutinized just in the last few years. They’ve been under fire for decades.
In fact, Eastern Kentucky University crime historian Gary Potter told TIME magazine in 2017 that when the first form of police was instituted, it was as a “night watch,” and it wasn’t a job anyone wanted. Early policemen “didn’t want to wear badges because these guys had bad reputations to begin with, and they didn’t want to be identified as people that other people didn’t like,” Potter said.
If you take time to browse through Facebook, YouTube or other video sharing platforms, there will be no shortage of clips depicting the worst of America’s cops. Unfortunately, it isn’t surprising. It’s no secret that police brutality is a widespread issue in the U.S. and has been for years.
For every 100 bad videos found, you may finally stumble onto a video of police doing something nice. But that 1 in 100 doesn’t paint an accurate picture.
You see, law enforcement officers do much more than people realize. Not only do they work to uphold the law, but they also protect and serve their community.
In Newton County, our law enforcement officers help the community through a variety of outreach programs, such as the sheriff’s office’s C.H.A.M.P.S. and the Covington Police Department’s annual Fuzz Run which kicks off this weekend. But officers also do small things that often go unnoticed, like paying for someone’s dinner, helping fix a flat tire, buying a person groceries or simply having an uplifting conversation with someone who’s had a tough day.
Not all law enforcement officers are perfect, and while they should be held to the highest of standards, we should never let the actions of one “bad apple” cause us to dishonor and despise our local law enforcement agencies.
To show our support, a portion of proceeds made from the special section you’ll find in today’s newspaper will be donated to Covington Police Who Care and Newton County Deputies Who Care.
The Covington News encourages the public to join in and always support our local law enforcement agencies.
Our View on the Issue is an opinion of The Covington News editorial board, which includes Owner Patrick Graham and Editor and Publisher Taylor Beck.
