BRATTLEBORO-All those familiar with downtown Brattleboro know that it has a sizable homeless population. On a recent morning I was walking along Flat Street and passed by what looked to be a homeless person next to some Brattleboro Police officers.
What struck me most about the encounter was its respect, cordiality, and humanity. Yes, there seemed to be some kind of issue. No, the police were not treating the woman as an inferior person. There was even what sounded like light-hearted conversation taking place. Also notable: some of the person's associates were standing nearby, concerned but not intimidated.
I don't know whether the BPD officers were part of the unarmed Brattleboro Resource Assistance Team or regular, armed officers, but it sure looked like they were carrying out their job duties like any caring town citizen would want them to do. Thanks go to those officers! I also hope they feel positive reinforcement in treating other people this way while helping tend to a tough, seemingly intractable community problem.
Meanwhile, we have read that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000 as part of a recruitment drive to hire new personnel. As we know, ICE agents currently don masks and wear no identification while going about their jobs, and they have at times treated suspected unlawful immigrants - and bystanders - roughly and callously to the point of great excess. At least a portion of those ICE employees have exhibited an attitude indicating that they think they are above the law and that they have cared not a whit about due process.
I hope our local law enforcement officers (including Vermont State Police, Windham County Sheriff officers, and Vermont National Guard troops) are not tempted to jump ship and work for ICE.
I also hope that they currently get real job satisfaction and fulfillment in treating human beings like human beings, not like cattle, instead of wanting to work for a federal agency that's shown repeated evidence of inhumanity.
Michael Bosworth
Brattleboro
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