Being a police officer was once regarded as - dare we say - a badge of honour. Kids were taught to look up to police officers, and the general public viewed cops as trustworthy and steadfast.
In fact, a 1997 Angus Reid poll found that more than 80 per cent of Canadians expressed confidence in police. Fast forward to 2012, when the latest poll shows that just 27 per cent of B.C. residents have faith in the RCMP, while only 28 per cent have confidence in their municipal police forces.
Now, to be fair, the public used to express a lot more respect for, and confidence in, journalists - and that's certainly dropped. And, in fact, even doctors have diminished in the public's view.
But the police have probably done more to earn this loss of respect.
One only has to follow the current inquiry into the missing women goingson to have one's faith shaken to one's core.
It's pretty clear that many police officers viewed missing sex trade workers as not worth their time. And the top brass seemed either oblivious or insensitive to that culture.
And then there was the Dziekanski tasering, where a show of unnecessary force led to an innocent man's death. And, to top it off, police lied about it in an effort to cover up their incompetence.
Headlines and allegations about sexual harassment in the RCMP - including a class-action suit - have added yet another tawdry layer of misbehaviour to its record.
Add to that the regular accounts of police officers sitting on paid leave while being investigated for everything from drunk driving to assault, and it's understandable that police officers are losing the public's respect.
Yes, we know, the majority of police officers are good folks.
But you can't blame the public for wondering, where are all these good officers when wrongdoing is happening in their workplaces?
