Third in a series
Re “Bixby’s Goal in Ferguson would be to Keep It Bloodless”
[img]2705|right|Chief Scott Bixby||no_popup[/img]As the nervous wait for a grand jury verdict in the Ferguson officer-involved shooting death Aug. 9 of Michael Brown ticks toward its final hours, Culver Coty Police Chief Scott Bixby pondered questions as if he were in charge of controlling the ready-to-explode protest crowd in the St. Louis suburb.
Much has been made in the last three months about the militarization of police and other agencies who have been summoned to Ferguson. What about militarization?
“‘Militarization’ is the term I was looking for when you asked me ‘how do we keep it bloodless,’” Mr. Bixby said. “Unfortunately when we go out, we have different types of equipment for different types of situations, especially if it is a planned-type even rather than an instant that just happened.
“Many times we look militaristic. Or we can.
“I am afraid that term, in my view, has been a little overused. We have equipment based on the need of that particular instant or event.
“It is to protect the officers and also to protect the people.”
The Way It Looks – and Is
This brought the police chief to the dicey matter of appearances.
“Unfortunately,” Mr. Bixby said, “it looks a certain way. Frankly, we don’t have anything of the military here.
“I will give you a good example. One of the times when President Obama was in town, we asked for assistant from the (County) Sheriff’s Dept. When they come out for something like that, they are in the appropriate attire and appropriate equipment.
“They were down one of the streets, not in the middle of events, when people in the President’s party saw them. They didn’t feel (the way the deputies were attired and equipped) was a good image. I sympathize. On the other hand it was our responsibility to make sure nothing bad happened in Culver City.
“When we ask the Sheriff’s Dept. for help, they come prepared,” Mr. Bixby said, “for whatever the scenario is. This is a tough thing. Although it may not look pretty, it is what it is.”
Chief Bixby, halfway through his first year in charge of the department he joined three decades ago, said he understands that “people feel this militaristic look is intimidating. They wonder, are we living in a country with military police? No, that is not the case. Our job is to show up with the attire and equipment appropriate for the incident.”
(To be continued)
