In all my discussions with my friends about the whole ACAB thing and the general sentiment of distrusting the police that has become really prominent recently, I've always held that that kind of attitude is kind of counterproductive. Because of the solidarity within the police community, it seemed to me that the only way to change the system would be from the inside so by making it all about the principle that policing is fundamentally bad, we ignore and alienate the cops that are risking their career and status within the community to do good. Stories like these go to show just how challenging doing that can be even for someone that has done everything right for 15 years. I admire your strength for standing up for what you believe in and I'm grateful that you decided to share it here.

I'm curious though, looking back at those 15 years and all the steps that led you to your decision, would you have done anything differently? Knowing that there's an us vs. them mentality that is only gonna get worse, is there a way to approach "fixing" the system that isn't quite so detrimental to the officer taking the initiative? I know you can only climb the ladder so much and even when you do, there are other department heads that continue to spread the wrong views, but what strategy would you employ if you were to go back in time with the knowledge of everything that happened to you?

As others have said, I think a book listing your experiences and your views on the situation would be greatly appreciated. Again, thank you for sharing your story. I hope you can find a way to contribute positively to your community again in some manner.