Rebecca Nappi: Journalist, cop similarities come with the job descriptions

The relationship between cops and journalists has never been give-me-a-big-hug friendly, nor should it be. Journalists see their role as protecting residents by making sure cops do their jobs with integrity. Cops see their role as protecting residents from harm, and sometimes they believe that means keeping information from journalists.

I know a lot of journalists, and I know some cops, too. One of my closest friends has been married to a Seattle-area police officer for 25 years. A couple of my childhood friends grew up to be cops. I participated in Spokane’s Citizen Police Academy a decade ago and, in my first job at the Fort Lauderdale News, I covered suburban police forces.

I believe cops and journalists are alike in some interesting ways. On Monday at a Spokane City Hall reception for the four candidates for police chief, I shared my theory with them. Then I asked each one, “If you are chosen, will you spend the day with me at the newspaper and then let me spend the day with you on your police chief job?”

I’ll tell you how each answered at the end of this column. But first, this caveat: I’m making generalizations about both cops and journalists. Forgive me. But I believe both cops and journalists are:

Adrenaline junkies: We journalists were often bored as children and picked a profession where boring is rare. We walk into our newsrooms often uncertain what the day will bring. We would go stir-crazy doing the same thing every day. The cops I know express similar sentiments.

Some cops prefer the graveyard shift because darkness coaxes out the troubled and the troublemakers. And some reporters love breaking news because it’s exhilarating to cover and to write a story on a tight deadline.

Outlanders: My Aunt Martha calls all in-laws “outlanders.” It’s also an apt description of journalists and cops. Journalists must stand back from society to report the news fairly. We are not supposed to march in rallies, volunteer in political campaigns or take freebies of any kind.

Cops must stand back from society to enforce the law. And cops aren’t supposed to accept freebies of any kind, including doughnuts.

Witnesses to the worst: Unless it’s happening in their families, many people can ignore society’s underbelly where drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence and child abuse harm innocent people. Cops and journalists can’t live in denial. When horrors happen, cops are often the first on the scene. Journalists arrive at the same time or soon after.

Cops see dead and maimed bodies. Journalists do, too. Cops must tell family members the worst news. Journalists must ask family members their reactions to the worst news.

Writers: Cops write reports. Journalists write articles.

Hypervigilant: Cops look for crime. Journalists look for stories. We are never really off duty. People at parties joke to cops, “Now, don’t arrest me for saying this.” We journalists often hear, “Now, this is off the record” at parties we attend, even those in our own homes.

Not many residents showed up at the City Hall reception Monday, but many journalists did. The chief candidates and the journalists had similar serious eyes, and those eyes were scanning the room.

The candidates listened warmly, if a bit warily, to my journalist-cop-similarity theory. Then I made the request for the mutual job-shadowing days. Anne Kirkpatrick told me she’d spend part of a day doing it. Bruce Roberts said he’d probably do it. Linda Pierce and Roger Peterson both gave an unequivocal yes.

When the top cop-columnist job shadows happen, I’ll write about it. Until then, copy and out.