| effecting support and respect throughout the community: What percent of the civilian population do you think believes that some of the police in your spouse's department are "corrupt?" [1%, 2%, 5%, ___%] What percent of the civilian population assumes that a few police officers cheat on his/her spouse? [1%, 2%, 5%, ___%] These beliefs and assumptions are called perceptions. True or not, such perceptions perpetuate an undercurrent of disrespect. Ironically the disrespect is not only for the officers but for spouses who tolerate this level of integrity. Part of why these perceptions persist is because of a single fundamental belief. The belief is that nothing can be done about it, it's to be expected. To some it is inconceivable for a police department to have the same reputation as a Zen monastery. It's only a matter of time that some department will formulate that intention and it will be the first to achieve such a reputation. It might as well be yours. |