There has been a lot in the news lately about the militarization of state and local police forces in the United States. It seems like every local police force has a Special Weapons and Tactics team and armored personnel carriers now. They use them to serve no-knock warrants on drug houses.
There's no doubt that there are many bad actors in society today. Active shooter situations obviously call for more firepower. But, I think police departments should watch a little more Retro TV. They could learn something from Sheriff Andy Taylor from Mayberry.
Shows like Chips show police officers who place helping people first and foremost in their consciousness. ADAM-12 portrays serious cops who were incorruptible and well balanced. Bubba Skinner managed to take down plenty of criminals with his hunting rifle. But, In The Heat of The Night's Chief Gillespie resolved more cases by talking to suspects and de-escalating violent situations.
If today's police officers would spend less time watching shoes like The Shield and reading gun magazines, we might all be better served. We can't turn back time in a world filled with sinister criminals, but we can dial back attitudes just a bit.
