A Person's Most Important Possession

These days when politicians make speeches, organizations evaluate what they said to determine what was true and what was not.

We need these organizations to evaluate what is said to assist us in knowing what we should believe and not believe. Many of today’s politicians appear to have lost their integrity.

In my opinion our integrity is the most important thing each of us personally have.  Integrity is when you can trust what someone says, because they check their sources, they don’t  “jump the gun”, and they make sure of the facts before they say something or act. Integrity is also the idea that you will do what you say you’ll do.

Integrity and trust are extremely important in Law Enforcement.  In my various capacities I was known for my details.  I spent very little time in court. I had a reputation with both the prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys that my cases were easy to get convictions. My arrests and decisions were fact based.  I didn’t present “iffy” cases to the county and city attorneys.

Let me give you a few examples:

When I issued speeding tickets using radar, I insisted on obtaining two readings of the violator vehicle. If I could not get two readings I would not write the ticket. I wanted to be 100% certain I was issuing the ticket to the correct driver for driving at the correct speed. I also wanted to be 100% sure when I issued tickets for stop sign violations. Did the vehicle actually stop or did it merely slow down? Can my eyes detect a microsecond stop? Probably not. Thus if it wasn’t extremely obvious they moved through the sign with no hesitation I would not write them.

I look at integrity as reliability, people can rely on what you say to be, true, you actually saw, heard, that you researched. things that seemed a bit out there. I used to get livid when parents with their children saw me in uniform, point to me and tell the child I would lock them up and throw away the key.

I tried real hard never to threaten suspects with things I could not actually do to them.

I must admit I have lied to suspects in certain types of interrogations or in undercover work, but those were specific circumstances.

Do you feel integrity and trust are important for everyone? Or just politicians and public servants? Is integrity and trust important among our friends? Our families? In our workplaces? I certainly have not done a study on this, but it appears to me integrity and trust are not as important as they were in the past. Why would integrity and trust not be as important as they were in the past?

Until Another Day,

Sally S.