‘Minute You’re Caught You’re History,’ Cadets Hear of Temptations

Now that they have joined the ranks of law enforcement, the graduates of the 74th Sheriff’s Academy will be confronted by a tremendous urge to lie, cheat and steal.

“There is more temptation out there than you can imagine,” Coronado Police Chief Jerry Boyd warned the cadets. “No one is exposed to more corrupt opportunities than a cop. You will get propositions on traffic stops. You will have opportunities to inflict excessive force and to engage in theft.

“Once you violate the code of ethics, it becomes easier and easier to do it again and again.”

Boyd, who teaches an academy class on objectivity and ethics, said many police officers make the fatal mistake of believing their badge permits them to get a discount at the movie theater and to drive faster than the speed limit.

“A lot of people think the badge is for life,” Boyd said. “It is not.”

Being a sworn peace officer is unlike construction work, delivering the mail or any other profession. It is unacceptable, for example, for a deputy sheriff to attend a party with people who smoke dope.

“Things you did two months ago, you can’t do today,” Boyd said. “You have to watch your mouth and watch your conduct.”

Boyd takes police ethics seriously. Typed on the back of his green-and-white business card is the message: “The possession of this card does not imply, grant, or entitle the bearer any special treatment or favoritism by the Coronado Police Department.”

Other instructors privately scoff at Boyd when he tells cadets that his six-hour ethics course and another on officer survival are the two most important classes in the academy.

“I have attended 29 funerals in law enforcement. It is an unfortunate experience. But I’ve seen a lot more . . . cops get in trouble by unethical conduct,” he said.

Boyd admonished the cadets that if they socialize only with police friends and permit police work to become a 24-hour-a-day addiction, their lives will “become one big, negative pit.”

Instead, he encouraged the cadets to stay tight with friends who are not involved in law enforcement and not to abandon interests, such as stamp collecting and ballet, because they do not fit the “Rambo” image.

“Cops don’t go to ballets, operas, plays . . . because they’re wimpy and not macho,” Boyd said sarcastically of the prevailing thought among some officers. “Cops don’t have hobbies other than gun collecting and target shooting . . . Yeah, they still go to parties, but cop parties, and they go to bars, but cop bars.

“You need those hobbies and friends that have nothing to do with law enforcement. We want you to stay normal.”

Boyd reviewed a warning list of the most dangerous pitfalls that trap law enforcement officers:

- Dishonesty. Boyd said it is a common practice for police officers to shade arrest reports to make a case look perfect. Later, to support the arrest in court, the officer must perjure himself on the witness stand.

“Every time you put something dishonest in a police report, you’re as criminal as the crook.”

- Brutality. Boyd tells the cadets that they will enjoy being able to use force to restrain a suspect.

“When you kick his butt, you will find it very satisfying. If you don’t find it that way, something is wrong and you should not be in the business.”

But Boyd said that too many officers use that satisfaction to justify excessive force.

“The minute you’ve got that turkey subdued is the exact moment you have to stop using force. It is extremely tempting to go that extra one for the sheriff and one for you . . . I don’t care if he has molested 28 kids. You are the arrester and investigator, not the punisher.

“The first time and every time you are tempted to give a guy one extra butt stroke with the baton or one extra punch to the kidneys, think about this: You will be fired.”

- Gratuities. The cadets will have numerous opportunities to cash in the prestige of their uniform and badge for all kinds of freebies, from a cup of coffee at the corner convenience store to fancy meals at expensive restaurants.

Boyd said that when he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 19 years ago, nearly every deputy accepted gratuities because they received such low pay and were not compensated for overtime. Today, no law enforcement officer should ever get caught accepting a gift, no matter how small, Boyd said.

“Nobody gives a cop something free or discounted without expecting something in return. They expect to be treated differently.”

- Theft. During the Christmas holiday, the flashlight battery supply at most police departments disappears because officers take the batteries home for their children’s toys, Boyd said.

“It’s unethical. It’s also illegal.”

Boyd reminded the cadets that most police officers make lousy thieves.

“Cops tend to think they are smart enough not to get caught when they commit crimes. Cops make crummy crooks because we don’t think like them and don’t have their expertise.

“The minute you get caught, you’re history.”