CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey blamed the media on Wednesday when asked about why large numbers of police officers are resigning across the country in recent weeks after the death of George Floyd.
“Chief Ramsey, you have a phenomenon now in a number of police departments, in a number of communities, where you have police officers who were resigning in numbers in the midst of this,” CNN host Jim Sciutto said. “And I wonder, if you were still commanding the police departments in Philadelphia or New York, how would you explain to your officers that this is not targeting police officers in general. It is targeting certain bad behaviors that lead to bad and sometimes deadly outcomes. How would you get that message across?”
“Well, I mean, listen, obviously you’d be, you know, visiting roll calls and so forth, but that’s a hard sell because, unfortunately, there’s really not a whole lot of balances taking place in terms of the reporting, in terms of the demonstrators,” Ramsey responded. “And don’t get me wrong, we need demonstrations. I mean there needs to be police reform. But in the — I think one of the consequences of what’s going on right now, police are being demonized to a large extent.”
“That’s the good cops that really are looking at this saying, you know, why am I bothering?” Ramsey continued. “Why am I doing this? So I think we need to find that balance and encourage the good police officers to continue doing what they do, but also help work to — to get rid of those officers that should not be police officers. So we need to find a little better balance because right now morale is really, you know, weighed down, and understandably so.”
When pressed by host Alisyn Camerota on the issue, Ramsey said, “Well, I mean, just — wherever you can find balance, find a balance. St. Cloud, Minnesota, the other day, a police officer was shot by an 18-year-old black youth.”
“The kid was not injured. In Philadelphia, last August, five police officers shot by an individual who was taken into custody without injury. I mean there’s been a lot of examples out there where police have used a tremendous amount of restraint. And all I’m saying is, if there’s balance there, then maybe we can start to get that message across to the men and women because right now, every time you turn on the television, all you’re seeing are the bad shootings, the use of force, and so forth,” Ramsey continued. “But, without balance, it does affect moral and you’re going to get some of these young cops that will say, listen, I can find some other line of work. I don’t need this. And that’s unfortunate.”
WATCH:
CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey blames the media for cops resigning, low morale:
“There’s not a lot of balance taking place [in reporting]. Police are being demonized to a large extent as the good cops … are asking, ‘Why am I bothering? Why am I doing this?’" pic.twitter.com/LirEPdaGAg
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 18, 2020
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TRANSCRIPT:
CNN HOST JIM SCIUTTO: Chief Ramsey, you have a phenomenon now in a number of police departments, in a number of communities, where you have police officers who were resigning in numbers in the midst of this.
CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right.
SCIUTTO: And I wonder, if you were still commanding the police departments in Philadelphia or New York, how would you explain to your officers that this is not targeting police officers in general. It is targeting certain bad behaviors that lead to bad and sometimes deadly outcomes. How would you get that message across?
RAMSEY: Well, I mean, listen, obviously you’d be, you know, visiting roll calls and so forth, but that’s a hard sell because, unfortunately, there’s really not a whole lot of balances taking place in terms of the reporting, in terms of the demonstrators. And don’t get me wrong, we need demonstrations. I mean there needs to be police reform. But in the — I think one of the consequences of what’s going on right now, police are being demonized to a large extent. That’s the good cops that really are looking at this saying, you know, why am I bothering? Why am I doing this? So I think we need to find that balance and encourage the good police officers to continue doing what they do, but also help work to — to get rid of those officers that should not be police officers. So we need to find a little better balance because right now morale is really, you know, weighed down, and understandably so.
CAMEROTA: Chief, we hear you. I mean, and that’s a really unfortunate by-product of all of this. Obviously, I mean I know that you’re saying that you blame the reporting in part, and I hear you. I mean, you know, we report on the extremes. We report on the things that are outside the norm. We report on the deadly encounters. Not all of — I mean on NEW DAY we also report on, you know, at the end of our show, “The Good Stuff” and good things that police do all the time. But I understand why that’s being eclipsed right now by these deadly encounters.
RAMSEY: Yes.
ALISYN CAMEROTA: And so what’s the answer?
RAMSEY: Well, I mean, just — wherever you can find balance, find a balance. St. Cloud, Minnesota, the other day, a police officer was shot by an 18-year-old black youth.
The kid was not injured. In Philadelphia, last August, five police officers shot by an individual who was taken into custody without injury. I mean there’s been a lot of examples out there where police have used a tremendous amount of restraint. And all I’m saying is, if there’s balance there, then maybe we can start to get that message across to the men and women because right now, every time you turn on the television, all you’re seeing are the bad shootings, the use of force, and so forth. Not that that’s not important. It is important and it’s flat-out wrong.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
RAMSEY: But, without balance, it does affect moral and you’re going to get some of these young cops that will say, listen, I can find some other line of work. I don’t need this. And that’s unfortunate.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
SCIUTTO: Yes. And we don’t want that.
CAMEROTA: Chief Ramsey, Toluse, thank you very much.
RAMSEY: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Thanks to both of you.