By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal
(972) 562-7549
The Dallas Morning News ran articles about police and alcohol abuse this past weekend (January 14, 15, and 16, 2012). The articles included this article about a passenger of a car driven by a drunk, off-duty officer, this article about the culture of drinking and alcohol abuse within the police force, and this article about the toughening up of licensing requirements for officers who have committed alcohol related offenses.
These articles are very in-depth about this overlooked topic. To be outraged and grandstand about what may, on it’s face, appear as mild hypocrisy (how many times do we see the friendly life-lecture on COPS?) misses the point with bad police behavior. What needs to be focused on is that police are people too. They’re vulnerable to peer pressure, they have psychologically demanding jobs, and they — like all of us — are products of the environment of which they live day in and day out.
Understanding police psychology including the understanding of police culture is essential in defending people accused by the police of wrongdoing whether it be DWI or any other offense.
*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For legal advice about any situation you should contact an attorney directly. Contacting the attorney through this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship. Communications sent through this blog are not confidential.
