Pandemic Police
The police are often called to address some issues of society simply because there is no one else to call. It isn't a threat, certainly not a crime, just something that is happening that should not be and at the moment there is no one else to fix the problem. There are dozens of examples. Some are good such as baby ducks stuck in a sewer drain in need of a quick rescue. And some bad, such as a lady who calls the police because she believes a man's diesel truck is emitting too much exhaust and is single-handedly killing the environment. Anyone who has been involved in policing for more than a year can provide endless examples of such calls for service. For better or worse the police dutifully respond and put on their best face, sometimes out of fear of discipline and sometimes simply out of amusement.
This brings us to the current situation. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The police are being forced into a position they really would prefer to not be. No, not ad-hoc healthcare workers but enforcers of mandatory business closing and social distancing. Oh, and forced face mask usage.
These pandemic derived rules are simply administrative. They are not laws passed by an elected body of legislators. Yes, the governor has the authority to decree the rules but who is the mandated enforcer? Do the police have the authority to enforce regulations decreed by a governor, outside of the legislative process? And even more important, is this something the police, enforcer of actual laws, wants to put their face on.
Enforcing such controversial and arbitrary regulations will never end up well for the police. The press and social media keyboard warriors will be absolutely for every single rule put in place to combat the disease, regardless of how draconian or magnitude of government overreach. Until, of course, a police officer has to use force to enforce the rule. This is clearly proofed by the media coverage of THIS incident in Philadelphia where the police were called to a SEPTA bus for a man refusing to wear a mask. The bus driver demanded the man be removed. The police attempted to reason with the man but he refused to wear a mask AND refused to exit the bus. The bus driver likewise refused to drive giving the police no choice but to physically remove the man from the bus. And of course, every cell phone within two blocks captured the event. In the end, SEPTA didn't get criticized, the bus driver didn't get criticize, the man who refused to wear the mask or exit the bus didn't get criticized, the POLICE were criticized. Harshly in fact, for their “unwarranted use of force” and “gross police overreach”.
In my agency, we have had several calls for service related to pandemic rule violations. Several involved youths ignoring social distancing guidelines while they played basketball. Another when the caller believed the Starbucks was open to walk-up customers and allowing patrons to sit on the outside porch – it was just two employees on break. And one lady who called because she observed some absolute felons using the frisbee golf course at a park. Oh, the horror. Even more unfortunate, there have been neighbors reporting neighbors for having private gatherings or otherwise not following the “stay-at-home” orders.
Every so often a movie comes out about Nazi Germany and the Jewish holocaust. More prominent ones being Anne Frank Story, Shindler's List, or The Pianist. These movies always stir up the conversation of, “how did Hitler get nearly a whole nation to go along with his plan to exterminate the Jews? Not every German was evil.” We are seeing a small example of that now. To be clear, I am in no way comparing the COVID-19 pandemic to the Holocaust. I am, however, comparing the naivety of the American people to the naivety of the Germans in 1939. In the name of “health and public safety”, we have neighbors reporting neighbors to the government. The government has mandated that citizens wear face coverings when out in public and mandated that private businesses refuse service to those that do not wear a covering. That is a whole new level of government control and most Americans are absolutely on board with it. Not only on board, but gleefully reporting violators to the government. By playing on people’s concern for their health with fear, hype, and a touch of sensationalism, you can lead them to the cliff like lemmings to the sea. Fear of this disease has brought us to the point people will report their friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to the government.
Who represents the government? Who is the only agency to address a situation for which no other agency exists? Yes, the police. There is no way the police come out of this in a positive light. If they do not enforce the rules, they will be accused of not caring about public health and safety. On the other hand, if they do enforce the rules they will be portrayed as jackbooted thugs who are abusing their authority and engaging in “gross police overreach”.
The government rarely, if ever, returns power to the people. The American people are giving the government new authority that will never be relinquished.
The COVID-19 virus is real, and it is a global health issue. I generally support the social distancing guidelines to “flatten the curve” and protect our healthcare systems being completely overrun. I hesitate to support the police being the strongarm of pandemic mandate enforcement. But then again, who else is there?