I read in a novel a British cop telling a subordinate that their job was, “keeping the Queen’s Peace”. That stuck with me. To my mind cops are supposed to be peace officers, keeping The Peace on the streets so people can function in a safe, orderly and productive manner. So I often ask the question when seeing a confrontation, “Who is breaking The Peace in this instance? Who is escalating the conflict?”

Note: the book was written during Queen Elizabeth II lifetime hence the term the Queen’s Peace. Of course we don’t have Queens or Kings here in America, nor should we, but we do have the concept of The Peace. It might be quaint today but cops were once commonly called Peace Officers here as well. And I think there is a sometimes subtle difference between being a Peace Officer and a Law Enforcement Officer.

Something to think about.