An unpopular fellow

Why should you have to worry about drug addicts when you could spend your time going after murderers and rapists?

Click to expand...

I don't worry about drug-addicts. I have made exactly zero dedicated drug busts in the last year. I tend to spend my time with the more interesting member of society.

Like it or not, the vast majority of people I come into contact with actually like me.

Cops are not the monsters some of you make us out to be.

But, and this is a huge exception, I am not the submissive pansy some of you are looking for either.

I tend to get the two extremes. Honest people will tell you I'm the nicest cop they've met. I'll stand around my local gun shop and offer advice. I'll post here and offer advice (even if some of you don't like it). But criminals hate my guts.

And that is exactly how I like it.

Two quotes leap to mind:

"When all you have is a hammer, all your problems begin to look like nails."

and:

"People can't separate the authority and the people who have the authority vested in them. I think you see that a lot in demonstrations. Cause actually the people aren't demonstrating against (a war) -- they're demonstrating against the police department. Actually, against policemen. Because they have that concept -- that the law and the law enforcement are one."

For example, any attempt to duscuss the confiscation of firearms during Katrina is met with "you weren't there, you can't be expected to understand" and any further attempt at dialogue is cut off.

Click to expand...

Perfect example. The confiscation of firearms after Katrina was dead wrong. I wouldn't have taken part in it and I would have badmouthed any cop who did.

This actually brings up another point. I have told cops they were wrong. In fact, waaaay back on Packing.org there was a post of mine that involved a dispute between myself and another officer nicknamed "Headlock".

The post was huge, gathered tens of thousands of views and hundreds of responses from people who thought it was great.

"People can't separate the authority and the people who have the authority vested in them. I think you see that a lot in demonstrations. Cause actually the people are demonstrating not against the war -- they're demonstrating against the police department. Actually, against policemen. Because they have that concept -- that the law and the law enforcement are one."

Click to expand...

That brings up a great point. You know what I tell people who gripe about the laws? I tell them to contact their legislature and have the laws changed.

ravonaf said:

Bad LEO's are always innocent until proven guilty

Click to expand...

And so are you, and so is anyone else (assuming you are speaking of criminal law here). It's the way our justice system works. So, where is the problem in that?


This whole "blue wall of silence" thing is a joke which is promoted by Hollywood. Do you really think I want to work with a crooked officer? We've had guys fired from my department who have screwed up, and I didn't hear any of my partners saying "Man, this is BS that he got fired for doing XYZ".

I'll stand up for a good and honest cop against a BS allegation any day (and these happen more than you might think)... But, I have no time for a crooked cop.

Despite popular perception by arm-chair internet attorneys, that's the way most departments work. We don't want shady guys among us.

And, yeah, I might cut a cop a break on a minor traffic infraction, but I also might just as easily cut you a break. Personally, I'm not a big guy for traffic tickets... and I'll often only write the minor ones if someone is giving an attitude which suggests that a warning is not sufficient to get the message across. I don't see this as a double standard, and it doesn't at all imply that I don't expect (and demand) that my fellow officers are not criminals! Put simply, don't assume that I would protect my fellow officer from anything that I couldn't also cut you a break on!

I realize, like anyone else does, that a few cases have come to light where cops have done the wrong thing. The same can be said for doctors, lawyers, teachers, members of the military, city council members, construction contractors, mortgage brokers, etc. It can (and does) happen in every profession. But, the cases where LE has looked bad (ie: New Orleans) seem to grab all of the attention, and are often painted in a light which would suggest that "we" are "all" that way!

This is a gun forum, yet topics against LE seem to routinely pop up for no other reason except to stir controversy and/or demand that the government be severely reduced or eliminated (when was the last time we saw someone post a story expressing their outrage at a teacher who was molesting a student? Even though this bothers most of us, this forum doesn't appear to be the spot for it... thus, it isn't discussed). But, any bad story about LE gets hammered to death on here, even if it has not relevance to the gun topic. Likewise, we get threads started about "Why you should never talk to the police" (as explained by a liberal defense attorney). Or, the ACLU's video on how not to talk to the police so that you don't get caught smoking pot.... etc.

I didn't come to this forum to read stories that accuse the LE community of being crooked. I came here to discuss topics related to my recreational shooting hobby. But, I do chime in from time-to-time when I think that the accusations are being unfairly thrown around.

"And so are you, and so is anyone else (assuming you are speaking of criminal law here). It's the way our justice system works. So, where is the problem in that?"

That's the way the justice system is supposed to work. When an innocent citizen is the target of police abuse the system is almost always behind the LEO. It happens over and over again. The LEO may get a paid vacation but the citizen goes to jail, the hospital, or the morgue.

And, yeah, I might cut a cop a break on a minor traffic infraction, but I also might just as easily cut you a break.

Click to expand...

Hey, if you work at Dominos you get free pizza, right?

MASTEROFMALICE said:

Hey, if you work at Dominos you get free pizza, right?

Click to expand...

What exactly is it you think you should get for free? Please be specific and list everything you can think of.


-T.

I don't speak for this forum, just for myself. I wholly respect all armed forces personnel and police officers. That said, I am free to disagree with anyone on any topic. Heck, I love my wife, but we do disagree at times.

Don't get upset when the few bad apples in your career path get bash on any forum. Bad stuff DOES happen, and people will talk about it. Better to have a thick skin and soft heart than the other way around. I get the sense that some folks just need to improve their self-image a little bit.

Also, I've seen quite a few posts in this forum by and for LEO and military. You'll tend to find what you're looking for.

What exactly is it you think you should get for free?

Click to expand...

Pizza. I thought that was quite clear.

Pizza. I thought that was quite clear.

Click to expand...

Wait a tick... you work at Dominos?


-T.

Do I work at Dominos? Now you're really not making any sense. Maybe you should go lie down.

-T.

Can I tell you how hard that little transaction made me laugh?

I'll venture to say about as hard as the prior one made me laugh.


-T.

I think I hear the clock ticking for this unproductive thread!

From reading the many posts on this forum for the last few months, I have decided that a fellow who was an Armed Forces recruiter and later became a cop probably shouldnt mention his background here.

Click to expand...

I think everyone loves a lawdog story. that is one of the reasons I fell in love with this place...

BrianB said:

Don't get upset when the few bad apples in your career path get bash on any forum. Bad stuff DOES happen, and people will talk about it.

Click to expand...

Brian,

As I tried to explain in my previous post, I don't have a problem with the bad guys in my field being dealt with.

What bothers me is that these threads usually end up being used as blanket justification to state that all cops are bad, and that the system is completely broken (despite the fact that many of these stories only come to light after the bad officer has been dealt with, or is being dealt with).

The system does work slowly when an officer is accused of something... By necessity, if often needs to. The nature of the folks we deal with often opens us up to BS complaints. It goes with the territory: cops are hated by criminals, and criminals are often willing to lie. So, sorting out fact from fiction at the IAB level often takes time. Similarly, I've seen good cops sit on the desk at the station (or at home on administrative leave) for months before an unfounded allegation could be cleared up... The system is slow for both the good and bad guys, but it doesn't mean that the wheels of justice aren't still turning!

coloradokevin

Yeah, I completely agree with you. I was responding to the OP.

I think I hear the clock ticking for this unproductive thread!

Click to expand...

It was just unproductive for a few posts.

What bothers me is that these threads usually end up being used as blanket justification to state that all cops are bad, and that the system is completely broken (despite the fact that many of these stories only come to light after the bad officer has been dealt with, or is being dealt with).

Click to expand...

Going back to productive... I don't feel that anyone should be respected just because of the uniform they wear. As I said in a previous post, I respect the man/woman, not the uniform.

Then with the helpful additions from MASTEROFMALICE, we learn that there are some members of law enforcement that do in fact believe they are entitled to more than the rest of us. They believe that they should be allowed use whatever tactics they deem necessary to "save us from ourselves". They do not think they are public servants, but instead believe they are above us lowly civilians. We are the sheep. They are the shepherds.

I cannot respect anyone who holds that view. I don't care what uniform they wear or job title they hold.


-T.

Cops are more rational than "the masses"...

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/13636340/detail.html

...and by the way, cops are subject to more scrutiny than the average person.

A big reason for that is that they are paid to be cops. Want more rights? A cop has already got 'em; they get put in his/her bank account every two weeks.

There's nothing wrong with that. However, it's sufficient compensation for the "extra scrutiny", isn't it?

Then with the helpful additions from MASTEROFMALICE, we learn that there are some members of law enforcement that do in fact believe they are entitled to more than the rest of us. They believe that they should be allowed use whatever tactics they deem necessary to "save us from ourselves". They do not think they are public servants, but instead believe they are above us lowly civilians. We are the sheep. They are the shepherds.

Click to expand...

I see....... He's still quoting from the "JBT" posts I put in earlier. That makes it even funnier that he's actually arguing with a make-believe persona.

LOL,

Malice, you're entertaining like Charles Barkley. (That's a good thing, I think)

All warfare is based on decpetion.

I have decieved and conquered.