Drunken cops in DC

I was completely unaware of National Peace Officers Memorial Day, an annual police event where cops across the country go to DC and party. The link is to a Washington Times editorial (H/T to The Agitator).

While I'm sure that most of them behaved themselves, there seems to be no shortage of drunken idiots:

"One concerned spectator asked them if it was against police regulations to be drinking alcohol while carrying weapons. In response, one of the officers teetered over, spilled his beer, put his finger to his lips and slurred, "shhhhh" - giggling uncontrollably."

And that's just one account.

Why are they not held to the same standards as the rest of us?

Last week my sister went to New York City with some friends, and while they were there they went to a club. Nothing unusual there except that my wife showed me an after action picture from that night where some off duty NYC cop posed next to my sister and her friends with his loaded, issued Glock 26 pointed at her head. At the club. Where everyone was drinking.

My sister didn't notice it from the picture, but my brother did. She doesn't think it was a big deal, and the cop did it out of negligence, not on purpose, but the point still stands that citizens are not allowed to carry firearms in NYC because state politicians think we're too stupid to handle weapons safely, but cops are exempted from the laws. The picture, which my sister does not want me to post, shows that cops are not infallible, and are just as capable of making a mistake as the rest of us.

What really bothers me is that if I had pulled out my Glock while drinking in a bar and pointed it at a citizens head, no matter if it was accidental, or if I drunkenly unloaded my firearm at a bell tower in DC, my ass would be in jail awaiting a sentence.

Why are they not?