Good cops, bad cops

ABS-CBN News trumpeted the whole of last week how its television crew had taken a video footage of two Quezon City policemen firing at suspected carjackers who were too dead to shoot back.

That exclusive video clip sure caused a lot of chaos in the police force and divided public opinion. While others were quick to say: “Good — now we have a couple of criminals less. There were also others who were concerned about possible police brutality.”

Nobody knows the truth yet, but clearly the cops have an image problem that needs to be solved.

Fortunately for me, I never had horror stories when dealing with law enforcers. To begin with, I try to stay away from trouble and this starts with following simple traffic rules. Regardless of what time it is at night, if it’s a red light, then I stop.

Lately, I’ve also noticed the presence of a lot of checkpoints. While I abhor those perfunctory security checks at the malls (especially when they poke that little stick into your personal belongings), I welcome checkpoints, especially late at night or early morning because I feel safer with these cops stationed along the roads. So far, every uniformed person who has stopped my car for inspection has been very polite and courteous. I just roll down my car window and greet them good morning and they say hello back and motion me to drive past the barricade.

Of course, I’ve heard of stories about how some cops supposedly plant drugs into the vehicles of some people, but I don’t personally know anyone who has been through this ordeal. I am inclined to believe that this is part of the image problem of the police.

But why do we have such negative image of cops? Some have themselves to blame — the kotong cops in particular. But media has a lot to do with our current perception of law enforcers.

In the movies alone, the following is how they are pictured on screen:

They get to the crime scene late. Even in the ‘50s movies — when they were still referred to as alagad ng batas — patrol cars would roll in when the hero had rescued his kidnapped ladylove or when he has finished off all the goons, including the mastermind.

They are stupid and bungle on the job. Didn’t we have in the past comedies like Bobo Cop and Cop Logan?

They are lechers. In the movies, they usually prey on the leading lady just fresh from the province. They also have several wives.

They can never be trusted. Usually, they are in cahoots with the villains. Or they are actually the big bosses in most organized crimes (drugs, kidnapping, etc.).

Of course, the valor and heroism of some of Manila’s outstanding cops had been dramatized on the big screen by some of our action superstars like Phillip Salvador, Eddie Garcia, Fernando Poe Jr. and the late Rudy Fernandez. Phillip’s Joe Pring even had Parts 1 and 2. But in these dramatizations, it is usually only the lead character who is a good cop (to make him stand out even more), while the rest are bad eggs. And yes, they all have mistresses — even the main character who is supposedly setting a good example.

And so now we are all still wondering why the police have such bad image? They try to negate that by making the cops don Santa Claus outfits and parading them in the malls during the Christmas season, but that is not enough.

The way they’ve been portrayed in media over the decades has surely blackened their image. But radio, television and newspapers only report what there is to be reported. If there is an anomaly in the police force, then that is picked up by the news. And movies? It merely reflects what goes on in society.

However, I believe that there are still a lot of good men in the police force, except that some may have been put under corrupt superiors — and there is also the matter of them going against the system.

But surely the negative image of the cop is worsening and a cleanup is in order. Oh, how I wish to see the day when people begin to run to the police again for assistance instead of running away scared.