Why Law Enforcement Officers Should Earn More

 Why do I believe, despite my encounter with a corrupt San Mateo Sheriff's deputy and at least two corrupt FBI agents --- all of whom engaged in falsified law enforcement reporting concerning my family and myself --why do I believe that law enforcement officers should earn more?

Law enforcement officers, ideally, are committed to protecting and serving the American public.  FBI agents, just like others in the national security agencies, speak a vow to defend the Constitution with every job and promotion they accept.  The public has a powerful interest in letting these men and women know that their work is valued and important.

They need to be earning sufficient pay so that, when someone like my stalker, who is a leading member of Russian-affiliated organized crime in the United States, extends a payoff, such remuneration will be immediately and unequivocally refused.

They need to be earning sufficient pay so that they do not feel resentment toward a society that might appear to take their dedication for granted.

They need to be earning sufficient pay so that they can live within the communities they serve.  In wealthy communities, the children of law enforcement officers should be able to attend public schools alongside the children of the community's real estate agents and bankers and teachers and scientists and accountants and entrepreneurs.  In poor communities, residents need generous representation within policing in order to build trust and accountability across the board.

We need to attract people of stellar character into law enforcement professions -- those who will not accept bribes and will not cower before threats.

And beyond that, we need to make whistleblowing possible when members of law enforcement go astray.  We need to view reports of ethics violations within departments as an important service to the community, and not a betrayal of the thin blue line.

We need to ensure that virtuous men and women within law enforcement will feel no need to accept Infragard payoffs in the form of Bitcoin.

And we need to invest in ongoing training that allows law enforcement officers to continually grow in their understanding of how to best serve their communities.

Historically, it is important to understand that hard right totalitarianism almost always comes to power in the name of "restoring law and order."

So, it is critical for democracies not to embrace calls to "defund the police" or "defund the FBI," as much as I understand the reflexive calls to do so in the face of institutional malfeasance.

We need to remember that there are heroic police officers who would give their lives to protect innocents.  Many have done so.

And we need to remember that there are many FBI agents who view their vows to uphold the Constitution with the utmost seriousness and honor.

That doesn't mean we need to tolerate corruption within law enforcement, whether at the local or the federal level.  Indeed, corruption should be in all cases exposed and prosecuted.

But alongside that, we need to praise virtuous officers who are committed to the stability and peace of our democracy.  

And with that praise, we need to pay them well.