I keep hearing the same argument from police officers and their supporters: We need to humanize the badge. We need the public to understand that police officers are people, too. We need citizens to recognize that officers have emotions, personal struggles, and bad days just like everyone else.
Fine. I agree that police officers are human beings.
But here’s my question: Are police officers willing to extend that same understanding to the citizens they encounter?
That is the question I raised while reacting to a video involving two female officers associated with the Dubuque Police Department in Iowa. The video, and particularly the conduct portrayed in it, raises a larger concern about professionalism, public perception, and the responsibility of police leadership.
My criticism is not simply directed at the officers. It is directed at the professional standards that police leadership is responsible for establishing and enforcing.
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Humanizing the Badge Cannot Be a One-Way Street
I have no objection to showing the human side of law enforcement. Police officers have families, personalities, interests, and lives outside the uniform.
But I have a serious problem when the concept of humanizing police officers becomes an excuse to dismiss concerns about their conduct.
Consider the average citizen stopped for a traffic violation.
Maybe that person just lost a job. Maybe they’re dealing with a sick family member. Maybe they’re financially overwhelmed. Maybe they’re simply having one of the worst days of their life.
Does the officer approaching that vehicle extend the same understanding that police supporters constantly demand for officers?
Or does that citizen immediately get labeled disrespectful, uncooperative, or argumentative because of an attitude the officer doesn’t appreciate?
If we expect the public to recognize the humanity of police officers, we must demand that police officers recognize the humanity of the public.
That standard cannot change depending on which side of the badge someone happens to be standing.
My Problem With the Dubuque Police Officers’ Video
In my reaction, I questioned how the conduct shown in this video advances the profession or accomplishes the stated goal of humanizing the badge.
I viewed the officers’ behavior as immature and unprofessional. I described what I was watching as resembling two kids playing with guns.
That is my criticism of the presentation and judgment I saw, not a finding that the officers committed a crime, violated a particular department policy, or improperly handled a firearm. Those questions would require additional evidence and an examination of the full circumstances.
My larger concern is what the public takes away from this kind of content.
Police officers operate in an environment where their actions can be recorded, published, circulated, and scrutinized by millions of people. Some of that scrutiny is unfair. Some of it is entirely justified.
Regardless, every officer should understand that behavior publicly associated with a police department can affect the reputation of the profession.
I don’t believe wearing a uniform means an officer can never laugh, have fun, or demonstrate personality.
I do believe that police officers should understand the difference between having a personality and maintaining the professionalism their position requires.
When I look at a video like this, I ask a simple question: What professional value does this bring to law enforcement?
If the intended purpose is to build public trust, I want to know how the conduct actually accomplishes that objective.
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Watch My Full Reaction to the Dubuque Police Video
In my full commentary, I examine the officers’ behavior, challenge the idea that humanizing the badge should excuse unprofessional conduct, and explain why I place responsibility for professional standards on police leadership.
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Chief Joe Messerich: Management Is Not the Same as Leadership
My criticism extends beyond the officers appearing in the video.
I specifically addressed Dubuque Police Chief Joe Messerich because I believe the chief of police has an obligation to establish and maintain professional expectations throughout the organization.
Messerich has an extensive law enforcement background. According to the City of Dubuque, he joined the department in 2001 and has served in numerous positions involving patrol, investigations, supervision, professional standards, and training. He became chief in July 2026.
That is a substantial résumé.
But I have said repeatedly that a résumé demonstrating management experience does not automatically demonstrate effective leadership.
There is a difference.
Management involves directing organizational operations, overseeing personnel, and administering policies and procedures.
Leadership requires establishing expectations, setting the example, correcting conduct when necessary, and ensuring that the people under your command understand the standards of the profession.
An impressive list of assignments and certifications does not answer the question I am raising about this video.
Chief Messerich, is this the professional image you want associated with your department?
I am not claiming that the chief personally approved the video, directed its creation, or knowingly ignored a documented violation. I have not established those facts.
My position is that a police chief is responsible for evaluating conduct that raises legitimate questions about the department’s professional standards and responding appropriately when those standards are not met.
That is leadership.
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Police Leadership Must Be Willing to Correct Its Own
I believe one of the greatest failures in modern law enforcement is the unwillingness of some people within the profession to openly criticize conduct that reflects poorly on policing.
Too often, criticism is interpreted as an attack on law enforcement itself.
I reject that idea.
Holding police officers accountable to high professional standards is not anti-police.
It is one of the most important things we can do to strengthen the profession.
I do not expect perfection from police officers. I expect judgment, discipline, maturity, and accountability.
I expect supervisors to recognize the difference between conduct that is merely unconventional and conduct that warrants intervention.
And when officers publicly represent their departments, I expect chiefs and command staff to take that responsibility seriously.
In the Dubuque video, I questioned the judgment being demonstrated and whether the conduct was appropriate for officers representing a police agency.
I also raised concerns about the possible consequences if officers were injured while engaging in unnecessary activity involving police equipment, including whether taxpayers could ultimately bear associated costs.
Those were concerns and questions, not assertions that anyone was injured or that public funds had been misused.
The broader principle remains: police leadership should not wait until preventable conduct produces a serious consequence before considering whether intervention is appropriate.
The Blue Line Must Demand the Same Standards It Expects From Citizens
I have also been critical of the tendency among some Blue Line supporters to defend police conduct simply because the people involved wear badges.
I believe that mentality weakens law enforcement.
If we want the public to respect police officers, then police officers have to demonstrate conduct worthy of that respect.
If we want citizens to demonstrate patience, we should expect officers to exercise patience.
If we want people to recognize that officers are human, we should expect officers to show the same consideration to the people they serve.
And if we want the public to accept that law enforcement is a profession, we must be prepared to enforce professional standards within our own ranks.
The badge does not create an exemption from criticism.
The badge creates a greater responsibility to exercise good judgment.
My Final Assessment: The Standard Starts With Leadership
My assessment of the Dubuque officers’ video is straightforward.
I found the conduct embarrassing and inconsistent with the professional image I believe law enforcement should project.
But my larger criticism is directed toward the responsibility of leadership.
I want chiefs who are willing to establish expectations, address questionable conduct, and hold their personnel to meaningful standards.
I want officers who understand that demonstrating their humanity does not mean abandoning the professionalism associated with their authority.
And I want police supporters who are willing to apply the same expectations of dignity and understanding to ordinary citizens that they demand for police officers.
I am not arguing that officers should be emotionless robots. I am arguing that professionalism must remain the foundation of the job.
That is the standard I believe law enforcement should represent.
And that is why I will continue raising these questions, regardless of whether the answers make police officers, police administrators, or their supporters uncomfortable.
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