‘Codes of Silence’ Threaten the Public, No Matter Who Adheres to Them

In the wake of mass protests in Democrat-controlled cities from Portland to Chicago, and now even small towns such as Kenosha, Wis., I am often asked if the violence and rioting we are experiencing is a result of “systemic racism” in law enforcement or, alternatively, a society increasingly less respectful of the badge.

My job experience has given me unique insight into this question. I have worked as a criminal-defense attorney and a prosecutor at the state and federal levels. I served a record six consecutive terms as the sheriff of Lake County, the second largest county in Illinois. I am also a former Democrat — my conscience as a pro-lifer led me to switch parties — who is now the Republican nominee for the United States Senate, running against Democratic incumbent Richard Durbin and independent Willie Wilson, a Chicago businessman and self-made millionaire.

When I began prosecuting criminal jury trials decades ago, the judge would give “credibility instructions” to the jurors, asking them one by one whether “they would evaluate the testimony of the police officer like that of any other witness and not give it any more or less credibility than that of any other witness.” My job as a prosecutor led me to dismiss the premise of the question, arguing that an officer would jeopardize his or her job by not telling the truth, while the defendant generally had significant reason to be untruthful. The reality, of course, is more complicated.