Those who regularly read my work know that along with highlighting government corruption at the local, state, and federal levels, I also write frequently about instances of police misconduct. Since my audience is mainly of the conservative persuasion, I have often been criticized for focusing on this particular part of government by some who back the blue.

I’ve been accused on social media of being a police hater or even a leftist when I call out instances in which police officers abuse their authority – even in cases in which the officer engages in brazen misconduct.

So, I figured it might be productive to explain my actual motivations for looking at these issues. The reality is that the reason I cover these stories so frequently has nothing to do with hating police but with my belief in limited government and accountability for government officials.

For starters, I view law enforcement agencies just as I view the rest of the government. To me, local and state police, along with the 73 federal law enforcement agencies (yes, there really are that many), are the same as Congress, city councils, the IRS, and every other government apparatus you could think of. They are the same in that each of these arms of government is subject to rampant corruption that results in the violation of our natural and Constitutional rights.

The key difference is that members of law enforcement carry firearms and badges and are the most likely to come into physical contact with everyday civilians. Moreover, these officials have the potential to use violence against civilians when they deem it necessary.

In my estimation, there is nothing conservative about unquestioningly trusting government officials who have been granted the authority to violate your rights if they happen to believe it is appropriate. It might seem like I am painting a dark picture of the police. One might be reading this and thinking police misconduct might not be such a pressing issue.

However, to the staff of the Marion County Record, a Kansas newspaper that was raided by its local police department, it was certainly a pressing issue. The raid occurred after the news outlet began raising questions about a prominent business owner and the chief of police and may have played a role in the death of its 98-year-old co-owner a day later.

For the two black men who were victims of racially motivated torture by multiple police officers, the issue is definitely a serious issue. The officers involved beat, tased, and sexually assaulted the men using a sex toy. They are currently facing prison for their actions while the department faces a civil suit.

There is also the case of Joshua Rohrer in North Carolina, a disabled veteran who is suing the local police department for using excessive force against him while tasing his service dog, who later died from the altercation. His encounter with police began when they falsely accused him of panhandling. There is no doubt that he believes police misconduct is a serious matter to folks like Rohrer.

There is also the reality that when the government passes tyrannical laws, it is not members of Congress, your governor, or your city council member who is sent to enforce them. The police are tasked with ensuring those who transgress these laws are punished.

You might also remember when police officers arrested a North Carolina man for opening his business while the COVID-19 restrictions were still in place.

The Raleigh News and Observer has identified the man as Matthew “Jax” Myers, 38. He told the news outlet that he had no options left but to open back up because he needed the income:

Myers, 38, said he knew his act would get him charged, but under Cooper’s order, he is losing so much money that he fears he will lose his new house and fail to feed his three children as soon as June.

He said neither he nor any other small business owners he knows have received any small business loans or federal Paycheck Protection Program money, and he only got approval for insufficient unemployment payment after 13 attempts to sign up.

What about the Colorado father who was arrested for committing the horrible crime of playing baseball with his six-year-old son in the park in supposed violation of COVID-19 restrictions?

The bottom line is that when local, state, and federal governments pass unconstitutional laws, the police are the ones who enforce them. This is why folks who purport to value liberty should always maintain a skeptical eye toward law enforcement, just as they would with every other government agency. If we believe in law and order, then we must apply it to those tasked with enforcing the law as well.

This is not to say that there are not decent people in uniform. There are plenty who work diligently to save lives and catch the bad guys. When the police are protecting our rights, they are doing their jobs.

I believe it is important to shed light on corrupt police officers because we the people should never tolerate any attack on liberty coming from the government, whether it is the FBI spying on us without warrants or local police officers who use their positions to abuse civilians. Those who engage in this corruption only make things harder for officers simply trying to do their jobs.

One can take a critical look at law enforcement without demonizing every single solitary person who wears a badge. If we want a limited government that is held accountable, we should also apply these principles to the men in uniform.