There is a theory to everything. When I dipped my toes into the world of teacher training, I discovered the vast quantities of theory that have been produced on everything from writing on the board to arrangement of desks to structuring of exam questions. I worked retail for a particularly conscientious company and discovered all kinds of theory on customer service and handling (including the incredibly bad idea that you should read the customer’s name off his/her credit card in order to thank them personally). Librarians, too, have produced vast quantities of mission statements and “best practice” material and they just love to contemplate the meaning of Information and Freedom, both of which they have sworn themselves to protect.
And so, reasoning from the part to the whole, I am not surprised to learn that police officers, too, are subject to theory. What does it mean to protect and serve? Who is one protecting, and what are the limits of service? Etc, etc. Today on the BBC we get a glimpse into that world, fraught as it is with heavy questions of justice in a free society:
Greek authorities have now demanded stricter policing, but this should involve writing tickets rather than opening fire at point-blank range, says our correspondent.
Indeed, I think “our correspondent” has a future in law enforcement, with that sort of keen grasp on the essentials.
Go on and read the whole story, which is every bit as funny and strange as the headline suggests: Greek man shot in double-park row.
