The Police Will NOT (necessarily) Save You

Police officer and carMany people conduct their lives under the DELUSION that they will be kept “safe” by law enforcement personnel.  They incorrectly believe that the police will save them in the event they are in trouble.  Worse, they think it’s the JOB of the police to save them from bad guys.

To be clear…. the police has NO obligation to protect you (the slogans on the side of the car notwithstanding).  To be even more clear, the Supreme Court has ruled that the police has no obligation to protect you or save you.  See Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005).

And, from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in Warren v. District of Columbia (1981):

“…a government and its agencies are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen…” –Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. App. 1981)

There are other similar court rulings.  The bottom line is that the words painted on the sides of most police cars, “To Protect and Serve” are merely a trite slogan.  It’s MARKETING.  One might argue it’s false advertising.  Yeah… I once went to a place that advertised “the world’s best clam chowder.”  It wasn’t.  Get over it… it’s just a slogan.

Recently, a citizen-hero subdued a madman on a killing spree in New York City.  While the citizen, Mr. Lozito, took care of business (while getting severely slashed in the process), the police officers were HIDING in the engineer’s cab just two feet away.  A judge has thrown out his lawsuit against the police based on the fact that the police (and government) are NOT obligated to protect any individual.

Start spreading the news…

Zero for hero: Judge snubs man hurt stopping ‘Butcher of Brighton Beach’ (2013)

You, alone, are responsible for your own safety.  The police are SECONDARY responders.  YOU are your own “First Responder.”  It’s up to you and your “comfort zone” as to how prepared you are to “respond” to danger.

serve and protectThis video effectively illustrates and refutes the utterly delusional (and widespread) belief that the slogan “serve and PROTECT” (emphasis added).  You’ll see that a lot of people think the police are obligated to protect them (they’re NOT).  The video also chronicles Joseph Lozito’s harrowing story.  The police, armed with guns and clubs, were two feet away and doing NOTHING to stop the attack.  What’s amazing is how the Mayor of NYC, in the press conference following the arrest of this murderer, credited the POLICE for stopping and capturing the serial killer, not Mr. Lozito.  Sad, but not surprising, knowing the M.O. of Mr. Bloomberg.  Praise the cowardly cops (in this case) and fail to acknowledge the heroic actions of the citizen.  Pathetic.

This is the SAME Mr. Bloomberg who vociferously campaigns from his self-righteous New York pedestal against our RIGHT to keep and bear arms for our own protection.  He claims that we can and should only depend on the police to protect us.  Yet, when they fail or REFUSE to do so, citizens have no recourse.  States like NY, CA, IL, MD, and NJ hide behind the SCOTUS ruling that they have no obligation to protect individuals while PRETENDING that they do protect them and simultaneously denying citizens their Constitutional right to defend themselves.  Nice.

Being aware of what’s going on around you (Situational Awareness) is the best way to stay safe.  Counting on the police to save you is folly.  The ACTUAL job of the police is to ARREST suspected bad guys, gather evidence, and turn them over for adjudication.  That’s IT.  They have no obligation or duty to protect, save, or rescue citizens from harm.  That’s not to say they never do.

Most times, it’s a matter of the police not arriving in time to “save” you.  But, even if they do arrive in time (very rare)… even if they are ALREADY THERE…  Legally, you’re on your own.  They have no DUTY to save you.  The police are armed to protect THEMSELVES from harm, not you.  BY LAW, police are NOT obligated to protect you.  Remember that.

Consider this in your decisions on how and why you may take measures to protect yourself.

As I ponder Mr. Lozito’s story and armchair quarterback… I think about what I would have done.  As soon as the bad guy was acting crazy (impersonating a police officer and banging on the door), I would have boogied out of there.  GTFO is always a good move.  Move AWAY from crazy people.

Updated to add:  Murder victim’s family sues Denver over 911 response time: Police arrived 70 minutes after call.  I predict the lawsuit will go nowhere, as federal courts have already ruled the police have no obligation to protect you.

Updated to add:   The case of Barela vs City of Denver (linked above) was judged in favor of the City (2015)… as I predicted.

Updated to add:  Look up DeShaney vs Winnebago County (1989) – multiple government agencies dropped the ball on a child abuse case.  The child was severely abused by the father.  The mother filed suit against the county and lost…. all the way to the Supreme Court.

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6 Responses to The Police Will NOT (necessarily) Save You

  1. Sherm says:

    Well said, Mike! And as you can probably guess, I completely agree!

    • The Dental Warrior says:

      Thanks, Sherman! I’ve always been amazed at how commonly-held the belief about the police being “obligated” to protect you is among most citizens. And, then when shown the facts, they STILL believe the police have to protect you. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

  2. David Moffet says:

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts Michael.

    It’s a sad situation, that we cannot rely on the law for protection.

    I agree 100% with your sentiments and comments.

    • The Dental Warrior says:

      Hi David,

      The notion of relying on the law, or any other person who is NOT PRESENT, is utterly LAZY, naive, and FOOLISH. It’s not SAD. It’s REALITY. To think otherwise is truly DELUSIONAL. It’s never been the case! This is NOT “news.”

      That’s why it’s called SELF-defense. And, that’s why we have a RIGHT to it. We don’t have a right to have OTHERS defend us.

  3. Jared says:

    As a conceal carry individual myself, I know the impact of carrying a firearm for defense on the psyche – it doesn’t automatically turn me into a crazed killer. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Whenever I conceal carry I am hyper-aware of my surroundings and, more importantly, my ACTIONS. In short, I become a more responsible and law abiding citizen when I conceal carry a firearm. Who would have thought?! Certainly not Mr. Bloombum and his anti-gun cronies.

    I’ll be relying on my own abilities and measures especially after the recent ISIS inspired actions of individuals.

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