1

Ryan Sheldon
Ms. Larsen
English 120
5/4/15
Hero or Villain
A police officer puts his life on the line every time he or she goes out
for work in the morning. His duty is to try effortlessly to protect the citizens
he is assigned to protect. And sometimes an officer will need to perform a
terrible act to ensure his citizens protection. Albuquerque police were
involved in more fatal police shootings than many other cities of its size,
many of which Federal Investigators found to be unreasonable and a
violation of constitutional rights. This has caused the mayor to work with the
police force to take the department in a new direction with a new focus on
control in hope that this will help restrain the officers and keep the number of
shootings down. But our police force is only doing what they were assigned
to do to enforce and keep safe all of the citizens of Albuquerque.
The crime rate in Albuquerque is 53% higher than the national
average, and has been described as a place where we struggle with drug
epidemics, extreme drought, hunger, drunk driving, gun violence (New
Mexicos gun-death rate is 40% higher than the national average), and a
corrupt police force (Carey). These conditions play a big part in what the

Albuquerque Police Department have to face during their profession, and

some believe it helps to account for the violence police have shown in the
past against certain perpetrators. The additional violence the Albuquerque
police face in their daily life can lead them to taking more violent actions to
protect themselves and their citizens. A police officers job is to first and
foremost protect the citizens. But some claim that the police are doing just
the opposite. Using aggressive violence against non-dangerous criminals,
even against those that are unarmed. Sergeant Wallace was promoted to the
Albuquerque Police Officers Associations executive board as an advisor for
the Albuquerque Police Department. Sergeant Wallace shot his third unarmed
assailant in 2011. The assailant, 22 year old Alan Gomez, did not survive the
incident. And Wallace is not the only officer to have used unnecessary
aggressive force. But when put in a situation where his own life, and possibly
the lives of others are on the line, Sergeant Wallace did what he did to
ensure that those lives would not be lost. Our police force is not committing
violent actions because they like violence, they are committing violent
actions because that is whats needed to keep people safe.
Fear is a driving force for many actions we take throughout our lives,
with fear for our life being a stronger force than most others. And so some
believe it is understandable for the Albuquerque Police to use possibly deadly
force in situation where they feel there life might be threatened. This can be
shown in the relatively recent police shooting of homeless man James Boyd.
While at first the public was outraged at the incident, the Albuquerque Police

Department soon released the video of the incident, which went a long way
in taking the blame off the police. The video shows the shooting of Boyd, but
also shows how he threatened and pulled knives on the police Canine Officer.
And it was not actually the Canine Officer who shot Boyd, but actually two of
his fellow officers. They saw that their friend and comrade was in possible
danger and took actions to protect him, which in of itself is a very justifiable
act. While we sometimes choose willingly to take risks with our own lives, it
is much harder to take risks with the lives of friends and loved ones. In this
situation, almost anyone would choose to kill the possibly dangerous criminal
than to allow their friend and comrade to die. This is why many believe this
to be a reason of why the Albuquerque Police Department has had a record
of violent arrests. Some have argued that there were other options they
could take instead of lethal force. There were police officers with Tasers on
the scene, which even after repeated shocks, the assailant may be
exhausted but not permanently harmed (Effects of Stun). A police officers
job is a dangerous one. They have to face possibly dangerous criminals every
day. And sometimes they are forced to use lethal measures to protect
themselves and others. They carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders, a
responsibility to protect the citizens of Albuquerque. And also the
responsibility of knowing someday that they might have to take someones
life. Do not condemn an officer because he has killed to keep the people
safe, rather you should thank him that he will make that choice to protect his
comrades and his citizens no matter the cost. (APD)

Stress can affect the body in many ways. The rush of adrenaline and
apparent sharpening of focus are not always helpful in making sound
decisions, and the job of a police officer is most definitely very stressful. We
are not ourselves when we are in stressful situations, and we can make
decisions that we will not normally make. And while the Albuquerque Police
Department does try and prepare its officers for these high-stress situations
with training, nothing can truly prepare one to face a life or death situation.
And so some believe many actions taken by the police can be attributed to
them being in high stress situations where they may not be in the right state
of mind to be making life or death decisions. The state your mind is in during
these situations can resemble a reptiles more than a humans (Police Chief
Magazine). We turn more animalistic in these high-stress situations and are
more prone to act and respond rather than think on what to do. When you
agree to take on the responsibility of being a police officer you agree to
protect the citizens of Albuquerque, even if that means putting your life on
the line. Police Officers are trained to be able to handle themselves
efficiently and effectively in stressful situations. A general requirement to
even apply to be a police officer is to be able to both maintain composure
and perform effectively in stressful situations and exercise good judgment
(Police and Law Enforcement). And most police officers will do their best to
handle themselves effectively in stressful situations, but none can say that
the stress does not affect their mind at all. They hold both a power and
responsibility every time they put on their uniform, but sometimes they may

find it hard to hold themselves to that responsibility, and to use that power
wisely. But you cannot blame them for what they have done if they were not
in their right mind when they did it. In a stressful situation you do not have
time so sit and think about what you should do. Rather you make the best
choice you have with the limited time you have to make it.
The Albuquerque Police Department stands for peace and justice in our
city. Our police force is held to a higher standard than the average populace,
and are often looked to as role models. They must show themselves as
upstanding and responsible officers. The job of the police force is to protect
the citizens, but they have a second job that is not written on any document.
They are the best of the best, and we look to them to be role models in our
community. . A police officers uniform is not just something they wear, it
symbolizes courage, commitment, and honor. The courage to do what needs
to be done, a commitment to the city they were asked to protect, and the
honor to do what is right. Our police force has all of these values in each and
every officer. They will always do what they have to do to keep us all safe.
Do not condemn them for saving us, or else their might not be anyone to
save us next time.

Works Cited
"APD: Officer Involved Shooting Was Justified." KRQE News 13. N.p., 21 Mar.
2014. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.
Carey, Madeleine. "Albuquerque Really Is Like Breaking Bad | TIME.com."
Ideas Albuquerque

Really Is Like Breaking Bad Comments. N.p.,

27 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

"Effects of Stun Guns." Effects of Stun Guns. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

"Police Chief Magazine - View Article." Police Chief Magazine - View Article.
N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.
"Police and Law Enforcement General Job Requirements." Real Police. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2015