Sunni Man
Diamond Member
A bill that would punish potty-mouthed cops with a pink slip goes before a State House committee today, and itÂ’s already drawing a polite, but firm response from law enforcement.
“Take a model officer, a 10-year veteran. One arrest and he drops an ‘F’ bomb. And we’re going to fire him? I think that’s over the top,” said Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie, president of the Major City Chiefs. “Police departments wouldn’t tolerate any of that behavior anyway. ... But I think it’s extremely difficult to legislate civility.”
The legislation, dubbed “An Act to prohibit in*appropriate language use by sworn law officers,” is a proposal by state Rep. Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield) that makes the use of “name-calling” or profanity by cops in the line of duty “grounds for dismissal.”
“These folks, they’re public servants. It’s unprofessional and beneath the dignity of any public servant to use that language toward the people they’re representing,” said state Rep. Paul Heroux (D-Attleboro), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “I think this bill is reinforcing good police practice.”
Wayne Sampson, executive director of Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, said the “radical” legislation is broadly written, with no exceptions, even for undercover cops.
“Certainly we can’t have them speaking proper English at all times while working with gangs,” Sampson said. “We feel this is very aggressive remedy for a situation that may not be as severe as projected here.”
Cussin' cops could get ax under proposed legislation | Boston Herald
“Take a model officer, a 10-year veteran. One arrest and he drops an ‘F’ bomb. And we’re going to fire him? I think that’s over the top,” said Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie, president of the Major City Chiefs. “Police departments wouldn’t tolerate any of that behavior anyway. ... But I think it’s extremely difficult to legislate civility.”
The legislation, dubbed “An Act to prohibit in*appropriate language use by sworn law officers,” is a proposal by state Rep. Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield) that makes the use of “name-calling” or profanity by cops in the line of duty “grounds for dismissal.”
“These folks, they’re public servants. It’s unprofessional and beneath the dignity of any public servant to use that language toward the people they’re representing,” said state Rep. Paul Heroux (D-Attleboro), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “I think this bill is reinforcing good police practice.”
Wayne Sampson, executive director of Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, said the “radical” legislation is broadly written, with no exceptions, even for undercover cops.
“Certainly we can’t have them speaking proper English at all times while working with gangs,” Sampson said. “We feel this is very aggressive remedy for a situation that may not be as severe as projected here.”
Cussin' cops could get ax under proposed legislation | Boston Herald
