When several police officers gathered at Starbucks for a break, a patron who felt “unsafe” got them to leave. What does this say about who we are and how we view the “thin blue line”?
The confrontation, which is puzzling on a number of levels, prompted a brief back-and-forth public relations dialogue between the Tempe Officers Association and Starbucks. The interaction went viral on social media, bumping it to the national stage.
Starbucks vs. Tempe Police
After the incident occurred, both the Tempe Officers Association and Starbucks had something to say about the unusual conflict. In a statement, the Tempe Officers Association gave Starbucks a pass, although they expressed disappointment:“This treatment of public safety workers could not be more disheartening. While the barista was polite, making such a request at all was offensive. Unfortunately, such treatment has become all too common in 2019. We know this is not a national policy at Starbucks Corporate and we look forward to working collaboratively with them on this important dialogue.”
At least, in the spirit of good business practice, Starbucks seemed amicable. The Tempe Police Department reported it had communicated with Starbucks’ corporate office about the issue.
However, it did prompt what seemed like a call to boycott:
It’s not clear why the Starbucks patron felt unsafe and wanted the police officers to leave the venue. Because it’s not been reported, I want to include the caveat that it’s possible the person has a personal, painful history with cops. There’s a chance the person has lost a family member or friend at a police officer’s hand, though that seems slim. Or perhaps that person just associates police officers with the receipt of one too many fines. It isn’t clear.
I do understand this in a way—I’ve had a few awkward, unsafe, and even semi-hostile encounters with police officers who seemed more like men on a power trip than men who wanted to enforce the law. However, the fact that the person went so far as to ask them to leave is a step that most would not take. I still generally feel safer in a public place with a cop than not.
How America Views Law Enforcement
Although we don’t know the person’s motive for booting the cops out of Starbucks, a few hypotheses come to mind. Statistics show opinions on law enforcement are deeply divided among political affiliations and race (white and black, primarily).Of Course Cops Carry Guns
Police officers are charged with enforcing laws and keeping Americans safe—period. One of the ways they do this is by being armed and trained to use a firearm. Some people—maybe our now-notorious Starbucks patron—might have felt unsafe because all the officers were armed and presented as a kind of trigger-happy posse. Unless that person has been ambushed by cops previously, this is a by-product of the anti-gun culture that’s been sweeping the United States for the past several years, and which remains one of the grossest misunderstandings of guns and crime to date.Still, even though the Starbucks patron in Arizona reported feeling “unsafe,” I found myself asking: What would be more unsafe? A group of officers in Starbucks drinking an iced latte or a crazed person robbing a Starbucks at gunpoint—and there being no police officers to be found?
In Harm’s Way and Doing Good
Despite some of the things people might have seen or the stories we know about inept cowards, the majority of officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect strangers.You can count me among the first to decry a speed trap or to criticize an overzealous, power-hungry cop; however, law enforcement has a place in our society and is more often than not a force for good.
While it’s nearly impossible to calculate how many lives that law enforcement have saved even in one year, the job comes with the requirement that each man and woman is courageous, sacrificial, and brave. These are the people who run to danger when we run from it. These are the people who answer the 911 call when a child says he’s lost. These are the people who will break down a door if a woman calls and reports she’s being beaten. They’re imperfect because everyone is—and one bad apple shouldn’t ruin their whole reputation.
Friends Read Free