Domestic Violence, Law Enforcement and the NFL

The NFL’s response to the Ray Rice domestic violence case has generated some much deserved criticism. But what the media rarely talks about is the domestic violence problems in the law enforcement community. Let’s compare the problem the NFL faces with domestic violence vs Law Enforcement. Here is a case from California in which an officer brutally pummels a 51 year old grandmother. This video garnered some national press, but nothing like the Ray Rice case. That probably has more to do with our celebrity culture, but it is a sign that while we are focused on pop culture and sports, we are ignoring a much larger group of victims and assailants.

Click the link above and watch the video. Both videos display a level of violence and misogyny that are shocking, but only the NFL is being taken to task for it’s response to violence against women. With the sheer amount of police violence in America today maybe another assault on a suspect is just noise. In the United States the Government doesn’t even track police shootings, much less beatings.

Now let’s look specifically and law enforcement domestic violence. Here are some stats to scare the shit out of you from the National Center of Women and Policing-

– Law Enforcement families are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience domestic violence as the general population.

– The most common punishment for a police officer who commits domestic violence is counseling. Not a suspension or termination.

– A study from San Diego showed that whereas 92% of domestic violence cases referred were prosecuted, only 42% of cases against police officers were prosecuted.

This would also be a good time to remind the public about the blue wall of silence. Cops don’t snitch on other cops. There is also the concept of “professional courtesy” in which cops don’t arrest or investigate other cops. Put those two together and you create a situation where abusive dangerous officers are left to prey on the public, and their families. 

So while we are outraged that a guy who plays football did not get suspended long enough, or the assault was not taken seriously by the NFL we are ignoring an epidemic of police domestic brutality. There are few hundred NFL football players, meanwhile there are hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers. The real epidemic of violence against women is by those wearing a badge, not carrying a football.

The militarization of law enforcement has spawned a culture of violence, confrontation, and control. Is it any surprise that this approach follows some home from work?