After slightly more than a decade of policing a major city, I have changed. I note at the outset that not all of these transformations please me. I look at people — just about all people, differently now. Some of the good guys don’t seem so good; some of the bad guys a bit less evil, and the line between the two is more blurry than ever.

And there is me. I am different now, too. It happens, I suppose, to many professionals. Lawyers, doctors, firefighters, soldiers all see their fellow humans through a slightly distorted lens. However the police officer brand of this distortion seems to be particularly intense, with great consequences (some good, some not so good) that shape our world view long after the end of our watch.

My mission here is unapologetic and simple: Education and understanding. The vast majority of cops do excellent and heroic work in the vast majority of situations. Sometimes we fail. In either case, I think police incidents are often misunderstood, misrepresented, and unfairly characterized. Hopefully we can work on that together. I expect many readers will not agree with many things that I say. I know that not all of my posts will please you. Let’s talk about those.

In the end, we can learn something from each other. Welcome.