In 10 Years

The biggest challenge in the NYPD in the next ten years is teaching new cops to be cops. You can't have a department with three year wonders being the senior guys on patrol, supervised by 5 year Sgts. No one knows how to do the job right. You don't and shouldn't have to call a boss to jobs, which really can be handled by a little common sense, and were the norm just a few years ago. The younger guys are so afraid of civilian complaints that they lose sight of what they should be doing tactically and professionally. The Dept needs to retain senior officers on patrol to teach the younger guys. The senior guys need to not accept the rookies right off the bat. Let them prove themselves and step in when they get out of line. The supervisors have to supervise, no need to write CD's, bring back some punishment posts, and don't let the rooks get away with simple things like-not saluting the flag/desk, not saluting the boss at a job or when they're getting scratched, coming in the house 10 minutes before the tour ends and just lounging around.

Terrorism - I'm surprised they haven't attacked again.

2. Professionalism of the job. With the lowering of standards and the number of new officers being hired, I think the core of the department is going to suffer and it will become known in another 5-10 years.

3. Lack of respect and cooperation between the police and the public. I have to say that I am VERY saddened by both the appearance and the interaction between cops and the public.

a) A number one peeve of mine is the cargo pants. I think they are absolute garbage in appearance. It's bad enough that they look like trash but to see all sorts of things hanging out in public view like water bottles and magazines is really too much.

b) Hats - they are an integral part of the uniform and professional appearance. I can understand not having a hat on in an emergency and you jump out of the RMP. But seeing cops walking a foot post without hats on, worse yet, having their hats hang off of their weapons, is crappy and a safety factor.

c) The way cops talk to the public. I understand that there are plenty of cop-haters out there as well as people who just don't know how to talk to cops; but we're better than them. You can insult them by simply conducting yourself in a professional manner and pissing them off because they can't get to you and bring you down to their level.

Quick story. I'm walking along and I see two policewomen struggling with a guy bigger than the both of them (bigger than me, too). He's not really fighting with them, he's just not cooperating with being cuffed. So I stop. They have him up against a building and they finally get him cuffed. As they turn to bring him to the RMP one of them looks at me and says "What the hell are you looking at?"