Today's MOZEN: Absolute Power

F LoBuono

When I was a kid of about 10 or 11, my father switched careers. He and his brother had inherited the family business - delicatessen in Cliffside Park, NJ. However, despite working 7 days/week for most of their adult lives, the business was failing. So, they sold the store and moved on with their lives. My uncle bought into a food delivery route and my father decided to become a Bergen County Deputy Sheriff.

I remember how hard he studied for both the written and physical portions of the Civil Service exam. I even learned how to stay physically fit for my entire life by doing push ups next to him as he drove himself to get in shape. When he passed the exam and finally became a Deputy Sheriff, it was one of the greatest moments of his (and, my) life.

He was so proud of his uniform and his STATUS. The career he was now about to embark on was, at least in his mind, far more important than slicing baloney for a living. And, being important was just about everything to my father. He was, in his own way and time, a brilliant man who never had the good fortune to develop his enormous potential. His life's circumstance always seemed to conspire against him: his father died when he was 12. Then came the depression and then WWII where he served with honor for 4 years. He just never seemed to have the chance to pursue his education and fulfill his destiny.

So, when he was given a badge and a gun, my father knew that his life would take on new meaning. And, he loved it. He relished the responsibility and he loved the authority that came with it. But, he may have loved it too much. In fact, he became obsessed with it.

Deputy Sheriff Joseph LoBuono

My father, to this day, was one of the most gentle and fair-minded men I have ever known. Despite his difficult early life, he had a mostly easy-going disposition. He loved his family (especially his children), his few, close friends and, especially, animals. He liked to sing (although not well!), dance, tell ridiculous jokes, and sports. I have very similar interests because of him. However, once he got that badge and gun, he could also be difficult. NO ONE was to challenge his authority. Whether he was actually wearing his uniform or not, he always saw himself as an officer of the law and, therefore, was to be respected and, yes, even feared for it.

NO ONE.

He was like a different man. If we were in the car and someone cut him off, they were going to get pulled over. It didn't matter if he had the whole family in the car with him and we were on our way to church. If someone did something HE deemed inappropriate they were going to know about it. He would flash his lights, pursue them, and cut them off if necessary to get the offender to stop. Now, remember, he was NOT in uniform. But, if he could get their attention, he would flash them his badge. It would drive my mother absolutely crazy. She would implore him, "please, Joe, stop! This is not right. You are not on duty! And, you are putting yourself and the rest of us at risk". Didn't matter - they challenged him and his authority and they would have to pay for it with a good tongue lashing. This behavior lasted for his entire career in law enforcement. He would claim it was his duty to do so. That may have been true but, in reality, I believe a lot of it was simply ego driven. He had the power with that gun and badge and he was going to use his authority when he felt he was wronged. It was if he believed that those objects gave him the moral ground to act that way.

Now, I loved my old man without question. Still, he was flawed like all of us. And, because he was SO human he was not immune to the emotions that affect everyone. With this in mind, I say POWER CORRUPTS and ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY. If a man as gentle and fair-minded as my father ultimately was, it can definitely influence anyone.

So, when you see videos like the one in Salt Lake of a detective allegedly abusing and illegally arresting a nurse, understand that it's not just about the law - it's about human nature. That nurse was not breaking the law. He saw it as her simply breaking his balls. She challenged his AUTHORITY. And, in the world of absolute power, that gets you busted. That's why it is important that we hold the police to a higher standard. They must be TRAINED (and, that includes psychological training) WHEN and HOW to exercise their awesome power and authority.