Cops the TV show

[Pistol Toter]

Yeah, I watch it fairly regular. It's a good comedy! Reminds me of the Keystone Cops, and Charlie Chapman; real slapstick. :banghead:

 

[MD_Willington]

One of the guys from my Highschool was on Cops...

All you could see was his back as he ran away...

MD

 

[jwmoore]

I don't necessarily seek the show out, but I will watch it if it's on. I enjoy watching how effective some of the less than lethal toys they carry are.

I recall one episode where they tazered a big guy who was being combative. He went right down. I think he got zapped a few times before he calmed down. When he got up, he said something like "Damn that hurt." And the officer said something like "But isn't it nice how quickly you recover?"

I also recall an episode where an officer was holding the driver of a vehicle at gunpoint with his right hand, while twisting the driver's left arm out the window with the officer's own left. The driver tried to drive away as the officer filled the car with an orange cloud of pepper spray. For some reason, I always find myself cheering in anticipation when I detect the pepper spray about to come out.

~W

 

[acdodd]

Not to mention underpaid. I had an uncle who retired as a Lieutenant. He made an OK paycheck, but not nearly enough to compensate for the BS/danger he had to put up with.

I vote that all cops get a 100% raise immediatly. (I'll even pay the extra taxes to pay for it)

They figured out how to make more already.

Over the past five years, Mike Miner has made a six-figure income, earning between $123,213 and $187,787 a year. He's not a doctor, lawyer or software engineer. He's a patrol deputy with the King County Sheriff's Office

That is a LOT of OT no matter what you do for a living.

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=overtime30m&date=20051130&query=police+overtime

 

[Creeping Incrementalism]

Some people say cops don't get paid alot, to which I say, they should move to California. Some of the highest-paid public employees are police or prison guards, taking in the overtime like it's going out of style. Everytime there's a newspaper article about it, there is a long list of cops (not chiefs or anything like that) making over $100 G's a year by taking in the overtime.

I love Cops the TV show (except for the prostitution stings).... catch it every chance I get, and have seen many of the incidents described in this thread. On Saturday nights, after Cops is over, I switch to Comedy Central and watch Reno 911.

My favorite Cops moments: New Orleans, where one officer accidentally pepper-sprayed another in a scuffle to take down some lunatic, and some other city (forget which) where the suspect's car hit the stop-sticks sideways, knocked them out of the way, and then a pursuing police vehicle ran over them and had to quit the chase.

One thing about the show, it shows you how pepper spray is virtually worthless, and tazers are quite iffy.

 

[O.F.Fascist]

I like for my kids to watch Cops. I think they can learn a lot about crime and what to avoid, like drunk driving when they get older. (My adult children already know about that one)

I cant say I'm a big fan of cops, but I do watch it from time to time.

When I'm watching I'm totally thinking, what would I have to do, say, or not say to get out of whatever situation the criminal has put himself into.

I also watch to learn what tricks the cops use to get people to incriminate themselves so that should I ever find myself in a similar situation I will not fall into thier traps.

 

[GRIFFIN1]

In one episode, this woman bought crack from a crack house. She then walked down the street and called the cops. When the cops got there, she told them about how she just bought the crack from the house down the street, and she wanted them to go down there and arrest them. Instead of busting the crack dealers, they took the woman to jail for possession.

 

[ka50]

The show is ok, but I don't watch it a lot.

What I hate is show called "wildest police videos" or something along those lines with this idiot as a commentator... not sure what his name is, but in one episode cops were arresting a dui driver and found a pistol and 2 mags tucked in his pants. The commentator made it look like it was something bad and evil. The guy who was getting arrested was totally cool though, cooperating with police and wasn't violent or anything. Just excercising his birth given right to carry a weapon.

The scumbag commentator used to be a LEO too... I wanted to find his email to write him what I think of him, but he's not listed anywhere.

 

[jwmoore]

The scumbag commentator [of Wildest Police Videos] used to be a LEO too... I wanted to find his email to write him what I think of him, but he's not listed anywhere.

I believe you're referring to Sheriff John Bunnell.

FWIW.

 

[MAURICE]

Someone mentioned a guy riding the Tazer.
Hurts like a mother, but yeah, it is over quickly.
Not so with OC spray.

Most of the people in LE are good people that want to help. Some are the bullies you ran into in high school. Before anyone jumps me I am LE. This is what I see.

The domestic stuff is sometimes funny. Bring both of em to jail and they sit there handcuffed to a bench. "I love you baby" "I love you too! They can't take me away from you" Etc, even though 20 minutes ago they were trying to kill one another. Not funny with kids involved. If you cannot argue without resulting to throwing punches you do not need to breed.

The episode where the Officer hit the RR tracks- saw that. It hurt my butt when he hit those tracks!

Maurice

 

[jcoiii]

I have a blast watching the show. Of course, while I was at the academy, we made lots of fun of some of the officers. There are some major errors sometimes by those cops, like one mentioned earlier about covering their partner's head.

But, yeah, those types of criminals are out there.

 

[ALASKACAJUN]

Well I guess I would be selling myself short by not giving a reply...

I used to watch COPS and was enthralled in the show, but no longer enjoy it! My brother-in-law became an officer of the law a few years ago. If I had to pick a person that would be "qualified" to be an officer then I wouldchoose him. He is well mannered, gentle, and is very patient... The first place they sent him as a rookie was the worst part of town, South-west Louisiana, Crackville USA!!! Everytime i talk to him it gets worse, his attitude about Blacks and people in generalgets worse. He has told me that he pulls people over for "looking at me wrong!" I'm sorry, I'm a veteran and believe that I'm a FREE MAN in these United States and believe that nobody has a right to pull me over for looking at them wrong! But I guess I stand corrected, I have a hard time believing that there is somebody out there that is getting paid with MY tax money that has that much power....... I think that the police deserve every dollar that they earn, but I hate that someof them have been effected by the job to the extent that they play GOD.....

- Clint

 

[ScottsGT]

Clint,
Your post made me think of something. With PO being placed in rough areas and only exposed to that class of people, in my opinion, the PD's ought to start a program where officers can travel to different towns and citys around the country to experience different walks of life. Obviously, the officer with kids in schools and wives with professions are not going to be able to participate, but maybe rookies or those with fewer years experience could try a program out like this?
Thoughts on this officers?

 

[Zach S]

I'll watch it if its on. I dont get too often because of my sleep schedule.

Its just about the only TV show I watch. I normally have the TV on a music channel or a movie.

I think the best one I like is when a police officer pulled over a drunk driver and while talking to him the officer asked him if he smokes dope. The guy told the officer that he would never touch the stuff and all he does is drink beer.

Then if you looked at the drunks guys ear, behind it was a neatly rolled up joint just waiting to be lit up. LOL...

The officer pulled it out from behind his ear and the guy kept telling him that it wasn't his.

I remember a simular episode. The suspect was actually pretty cooperative.

 

[hammer4nc]

"COPS" pretty well chronicles the devolution of current law enforcement, and its preoccupation with drugs...examples:

> Cops choking some guy out to recover "evidence"; usually a few rocks...high fives all around after this successful le operation.

> Coordinated "buy-busts", where the (usually junior) cop on the takedown squad is responsible for seizing the property. When the guy is arrested for buying a dime from the uc, the first question asked is: "Do you own this car?"...the podunk pd has to fund their new night vision equipment, don't they? Recall one young high school girl whose Camaro was a gift from her grandmother..."well we're going to own it now!!" >>Good bust; high fives. LE depts. benefitting financially from arrests is a cancer that is spreading.

Nowadays, it has become common practice for cops to break the law; to enforce the law. Everyone should read judge Napolitano's book on this topic.

Example: UC cops selling dope on the street (from the evidence locker). Our law-and-order members here will quote chapter and verse on the current "entrapment" philosophy (suspect was predisposed to commit the crime, so no violation..nudge, wink). For the members who say: cops have to abide by the same laws as everyone else...how come the cop-uc-dealer isn't also arrested for dealing dope? In general, drug warriors have embraced deception wholeheartedly, the ends justify the means. And they expect everyone to believe that this attitude doesn't bleed over to sworn testimony, in order to take down the (in their mind guilty) pos dirtbag (using the most common parlance from glocktalk/coptalk). Human nature, I guess.

For those ready to flame me for bashing, please first make a convincing argument that citizen trust and respect for le is getting better; while laws bcome more intrusive, and cops in general start looking more like isolated soldiers in a hostile environment.

 

[Curare]

Cops is like a time capsule--I love watching the shows from the 80s!

 

[jcoiii]

"COPS" pretty well chronicles the devolution of current law enforcement, and its preoccupation with drugs...examples:

> Cops choking some guy out to recover "evidence"; usually a few rocks...high fives all around after this successful le operation.

> Coordinated "buy-busts", where the (usually junior) cop on the takedown squad is responsible for seizing the property. When the guy is arrested for buying a dime from the uc, the first question asked is: "Do you own this car?"...the podunk pd has to fund their new night vision equipment, don't they? Recall one young high school girl whose Camaro was a gift from her grandmother..."well we're going to own it now!!" >>Good bust; high fives. LE depts. benefitting financially from arrests is a cancer that is spreading.

Nowadays, it has become common practice for cops to break the law; to enforce the law. Everyone should read judge Napolitano's book on this topic.

Example: UC cops selling dope on the street (from the evidence locker). Our law-and-order members here will quote chapter and verse on the current "entrapment" philosophy (suspect was predisposed to commit the crime, so no violation..nudge, wink). For the members who say: cops have to abide by the same laws as everyone else...how come the cop-uc-dealer isn't also arrested for dealing dope? In general, drug warriors have embraced deception wholeheartedly, the ends justify the means. And they expect everyone to believe that this attitude doesn't bleed over to sworn testimony, in order to take down the (in their mind guilty) pos dirtbag (using the most common parlance from glocktalk/coptalk). Human nature, I guess.

For those ready to flame me for bashing, please first make a convincing argument that citizen trust and respect for le is getting better; while laws bcome more intrusive, and cops in general start looking more like isolated soldiers in a hostile environment.

Please call your local PD and tell them that since they are all law breakers and criminals that you no longer want their assistance in any future incidents that may arrise. After all, wouldn't want a single cop around because they are all dirty.:banghead:

Leave it to someone to turn a thread about a tv show into cop-bashing

 

[Cosmoline]

I find the show interesting. It always amazes me how many suspects who have a LOT to hide in their cars will nevertheless consent to a search. And sure enough the cops find the drugs. What were they thinking?!

It's also a bit disturbing to see the attitudes of many big-city cops, esp. back east, to firearms. It often doesn't seem like I'm watching something filmed in the US, but rather the UK.

 

[Sindawe]

Leave it to someone to turn a thread about a tv show into cop-bashing

Pointing out the corrupting influence that asset forfeiture prior to conviction has on law enforcement hardly constitutes "cop-bashing".

Please call your local PD and tell them that since they are all law breakers and criminals that you no longer want their assistance in any future incidents that may arrise.

That is already the frame of mind *I* have with respect to the police. They serve as record takers and filers of documents that the courts and insurance companies require, nothing more.

The courts have judged that *I* and *I* alone am responsible for my safety and well being. I have no problem with that, I take care of myself just fine w/o the assistance of "Office Friendly", his trained currs, sticky fingers and tactics of deception.

Yes, asset forfeiture is hot button with me. I'll sooner burn my property to ashes rather than let it fall into the coffers of the police.

 

[Old Dog]

Pointing out the corrupting influence that asset forfeiture prior to conviction has on law enforcement hardly constitutes "cop-bashing".

Well no, looks as though the cop-bashing started about seven posts before that one ...

It's also a bit disturbing to see the attitudes of many big-city cops, esp. back east, to firearms

I agree with that, for sure. Funny though, one of the last episodes I caught was with some of our local boys (Pierce County, WA SO), a guy and his girlfriend were being hassled, but the suspect complained the guy had a gun ... the officers simply had the guy show where he was packing (a fanny pack) and glanced at his CPL, and he was good to go. Contrast that with an episode depicting (IIRC) Boston PD and a little potmetal .32 or .380 they pulled out of a car; those boys acted as though they'd just captured Bin Laden carrying an M-60 ... (then the officer couldn't even figure out how to clear the pistol, think it was a Davis or a Lorcin) ...

 

[Cosmoline]

I remember that Boston PD one. The officer was really show boating about the whole thing.

One good thing to come from the series is it shows how much of the day-to-day work of cops involves either drug enforcement or domestic violence. It's not a job I'd want that's for sure. When does wrestling unwashed shirtless meth heads ever get fun?

 

[hammer4nc]

ecoli posted:

Leave it to someone to turn a thread about a tv show into cop-bashing

Now, to quote Sin LaSalle in the movie "Be Cool": "Must you play into the stereotypes?"

Rather than repeating the latest installment of troll patrol, I was more hoping for some discussion re:

A defense of asset/forfeiture funding local departments (esp. sans conviction). You think its a good thing, I take it?

Discussion of the war on drugs, how use of deception ENHANCES citizen respect for law enforcement, and/or how it could never adversely affect sworn testimony or written affadavits. Breaking the law to enforce the law is a good thing?

Heck, I'd even settle for some discussion of how cops never eat at fast food joints because they're afraid of phlegm condiments added without request; how this is a reflection of good citizen relations.

One thing about COPS (the tv show) that's a real enigma: One assumes the chief has veto power over any clips that are broadcast, and the ones we see on TV are meant to portray his dept. in the "best" light.

 

[Old Dog]

I was more hoping for some discussion re:

A defense of asset/forfeiture funding local departments (esp. sans conviction). You think its a good thing, I take it?

Discussion of the war on drugs, how use of deception ENHANCES citizen respect for law enforcement, and/or how it could never adversely affect sworn testimony or written affadavits. Breaking the law to enforce the law is a good thing?

Heck, I'd even settle for some discussion of how cops never eat at fast food joints because they're afraid of phlegm condiments added without request; how this is a reflection of good citizen relations.

What does all this have to do with a discussion about a television show?

Seems to me you could just as easily start threads dedicated to those topics rather than work in all your negative viewpoints of law enforcement into a thread that really is just about the TV program ...

 

[Unisaw]

Cops is a great way to show your kids how stupid people act when they are drunk. I watch it fairly often. I too like the old episodes with the giant radios and revolvers.

 

[hammer4nc]

Seems to me you could just as easily start threads dedicated to those topics rather than work in all your negative viewpoints of law enforcement into a thread that really is just about the TV program ...

Thanks for the heads up, old dog...I'll be sure to check with you before discussing any topic you may disagree with, buddy. Maybe you could post a list of your prohibited topics a priori, just so we'll all be on the same page?