Should Cops Swear An Oath...

[NavyCop]

to tell the truth be testifying?

I'm reading old articles on the NYPD and came across a few from the late 90s where they talked about then Mayor Giuliani along with the top police officials maintaining that making a cop swear an oath to tell the truth before testifying constitutes an "Anti-Cop Bias".

That stance is completely baffling to me.

[Dinosaur32]

Extremely baffling to me.......never heard from any NYPD officer that making him swear to tell the truth is anti-cop. Wouldf like to know what articles you read.

[NavyCop]

I'm off to work, when I get back I look for the link. It had to do with Giluiani, Howard Safir, and then Transit Bureau Chief Kenneth Donahue and the issue of subway crime figures being under reported for more the 30 years.

[SlowDownThere]

I don't think it's anti-cop at all.

I've testified many, many times, and I've taken an oath every single time, just like every other witness. What's anti-cop about that?

[deputy x 2]

I don't think it's anti-cop at all.

I've testified many, many times, and I've taken an oath every single time, just like every other witness. What's anti-cop about that?


I agree with SDT...it's a matter of court formality.

[cst.sb]

What we are doing is swearing an oath to tell the truth in that court at that time.

There are times in police work, under cover being one of them, that being less than truthful is a necessary evil.

I watched an A&E two hour sepcial about a serial rapist that was arrested, escaped custody, and was re-arrested, and in the trial the defence jumped on the detective for lying to his client. Now, I don't know if he intentionally did lie or not, or if just later decided not to do as he told the suspect. But he did look sheepish and gave a half-assed answer.

If it would have been me, and I had lied to the suspect, I would have just said, "Yes, I lied to him". The suspect wasn't offered any favor or special traeatment was offerec that coud have illicited a confession, and the lie took place during the bonding part of the interview.

I've told all kinds of white lies to suspects inorder to create a repport with them. Our job is to catch bad guys, and sometimes, "Trickery" is absolutely fine. In Canada the test is if it shocks the public and I quote, police officers pretending to be lawyers, clergy, an pretending to give a diabetic insuln and injecting them with truth serum. So, for us, our only limit sometimes can be out own imaginations!

[NavyCop]

Link (http://www.nypdconfidential.com/columns/1998/980303.html)

There are more references to this on other dates as well.

To be clear and fair and I should have included it in my original post, it is not testifying in court but rather in a government inquiry.

[Dinosaur32]

It doesn't matter where you are testifying. If the body is taking sworn testimony you swear to tell the truth....I hate to say this but it has been the American way for over 200 years and is not anti-cop.

[SlowDownThere]

Link (http://www.nypdconfidential.com/columns/1998/980303.html)

There are more references to this on other dates as well.

To be clear and fair and I should have included it in my original post, it is not testifying in court but rather in a government inquiry.

OK, I've also testified many times in governmental inquiries, such as DMV hearings, internal disciplinary hearings, hearings before the state liquor control board, grand juries, etc.

I still don't see anything anti-cop about it.

[KC Vendetta]

Undercover work or otherwise...been there...done that...I agree with the "court formality!" I'm not offended at all and don't consider it "anti-cop!"

[Bighead]

It is criticism of a city council person who wanted to require police to swear an oath to tell the truth before a "Public Safety Committee Meeting". The argument was that for the coucil person to ask for officers to take an oath, when they are already sworn to tell the truth, was intended as an insult. I don't know the history of this particular council person, but if he has a long history of being a police antagonist I can see why they might react this way.

Nothing like a little political posturing.

[SgtCHP]

to tell the truth be testifying?

I'm reading old articles on the NYPD and came across a few from the late 90s where they talked about then Mayor Giuliani along with the top police officials maintaining that making a cop swear an oath to tell the truth before testifying constitutes an "Anti-Cop Bias".

That stance is completely baffling to me.


When you became a "NavyCop" did you take an oath of service? If so, you SWORE "...to defend and support the Constitution of the United States...", etc. It is no different than an officer or witness or perp taking an oath to tell the truth in a trial.

:rolleyes:

[NavyCop]

When you became a "NavyCop" did you take an oath of service? If so, you SWORE "...to defend and support the Constitution of the United States...", etc. It is no different than an officer or witness or perp taking an oath to tell the truth in a trial.

:rolleyes:

Why the rolling of the eyes? I see nothing wrong with taking an oath before testifying. I posted this because I have never heard anyone take the stance that police officers shouldn't have to because it was demeaning and anti-cop.