A Policeman in a Typical American City

As America convulses with anti-police sentiment and the public debate centers around the question of defunding police departments, we reached out to a beat officer in a typical American city to hear his take.

Our interviewee, who’s been prohibited by his supervisor from sharing his name or any identifying details, is a police sergeant with over a decade’s experience within the uniform patrol division of the department of a midsized city. This division is what most people would call the “beat officers,” or those who work the street 24/7. Here are the things he wishes you knew.

1. Weapons are the last resort

There’s a conception out there that policemen walk around shooting wantonly. In my experience and training, that’s hardly the truth. During my six months of training at the academy and the three months of on-the-job training that followed, we internalized a system where weapons are the last resort.

At the academy, we learned a mix of police methodology, such as how to de-escalate a situation; and skills, like the use of restraints and weapons. We use restraints and weapons only in cases where a suspect is being non-compliant when we try to take him into custody.