Citizens and other Citizens (Police)

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People fear what they dont understand. Someone who has'nt been there will have the same grasp of policing that I as a male have of childbirth.
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Sendec, are you saying that since the non-cops don't understand what it's like being a cop, all of the attitudes, biases, stereotypes and assumptions arise out of fear?

It's a cop thing, you wouldnt understand.
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Wow.

The young cops who grew up watching COPS think their job is to harass you and make your life miserable and try to exert their authority over you for sometimes complete and total BS reasons.
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I have a problem with this statement as well. More generalizing, stereotyping and just plain wrong.
 
Well, Sendec, I rode "Buddy Patrol" with the Austintatious PD for a few months back in 1973. Regularly worked the Friday night shift on the rough side of town.

The last 21 years, here in Terlingua, I've been around Border Patrol, Customs, deputies and constables as well as a couple of sheriffs. Mostly social, nowadays. I've "coffied up" with Joaquin Jackson as well as Jim Wilson...

Most of these guys are on my good-guy list. I don't have Presidio County's ex-Sheriff Rick Thompson on this list of course; he's doing life without parole for a metric ton of pure cocaine. A constable back in the older days here was a less than desireable creature, but he's retired, now. So, by and large, I as usual regard LEOs as good guys...

Since SFAIK Brewster County has only had two real scuzzies with badges during my 21 years here, I'd say the area's doing pretty good.

But I don't believe there's a group on this earth that's 100% good guys. I do believe that anytime anybody sees doofus behavior by some klutz, there's an absolute right to gripe. Parallelling Pax, the gripe oughta be specific; "some", not "all". But I've said that numerous times before...

Art
 
sendec ~

It's a cop thing, you wouldnt understand.
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*laugh*

Oddly enough, that's what I said. At least in part.

Maybe I should have used smaller words. Or fewer of them.

pax

When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet deep down in his private heart no man much respects himself. -- Mark Twain
 
Ahhh Police.
Ahhh Citizens.

Policing the Garbage in our society. Professionals for the most part. Dealing with traffic, domestic woes, drunks and the dregs. Seeing children hurt and maimed, or hurting and maiming others, dealing daily with 99% boredom and paperwork out the wazoo followed by 1% of sheer WOW! WASN'T EXPECTING THAT! (but glad that something broke the monotony)

Different than us? Yes and No.

Held to a higher standard? Darn right.

Trained and psychologically tested to see if they're right for the job? Uh Huh
They who have chosen to serve, who literally could end up dead or worse by the end of their daily shift, who still have to deal with the spousal unit and maintain a modicum of normalcy around the house or when not hanging with the guys, yet see every action being covered by paper under the magnifying glass of the media...

Why sure. Sounds like everymans day to day job in America (and elsewhere)... NOT

Helping a distressed driver with a flat in the snow or rain or 120 degree heat?
Giving time to community service programs?
Hanging out with guys they work with almost exclusively?

Learning that a lot of what you were taught in the Academy is only about 5% of what you find daily on the street and that it takes years of dealing with people to actually know what's what, but new laws are added annually or new rulings come from the court system.

Catching a bad guy and watching him walk out before you even have your paperwork done on him, knowing that he's scum and needs to actually fear righteousness... but doesn't, won't and will be back to doing his nefarious deeds of ner-do-well within 45 minutes of hitting the streets...

Sounds like a typical day at my workplace. Sounds like yours too you say?

What's that you say? But some of them are bad and are tempted by evil? Some are badge heavy and take or see things the wrong way? Selective enforcement of some laws but not others? Back each other up, even if they're strangers? Would actually take a bullet or die for their buddy just because he/she is wearing the same uniform and performing the same job?

Talk a drunken married couple with a battered wife into calming down only to have her turn into an inebriated banshee when she realizes that her wunnerful common law hubby is going to cool off downtown for a spell.

Actually run towards the sound of violent action when a smarter intellectual type (such as myself :D) might and should be hesitating while they/I consider self preservation first and foremost?

All that for how much a year?

Well, they might be a little different than you or me non po-po types. Maybe.

Take a Citizen's Academy class. Do the ride-along. Hang out at the Dispatch center for a shift (I recommend the full moon Friday or Saturday night shift if you're allowed) Try to put a set of handcuffs on a 5' 100 lb. female training officer who's told you she's going to "lightly resist" :uhoh: Then see how fast she does the same to you. Practice your "Command Presence" and "Use of Force". What's that thing called an "Exclusionary Rule"?

Walk a mile in the man's mocassins if you care to or are able. Then speak of things like "them vs us" and/or thank them for doing a thankless job.

NAAHHH. It's far easier to safely sit at a computer and lob in shots from afar. :D

I fight Authority, Authority always wins... I wonder why? They can afford Better Attornies probably
 
I wouldn't do a cops job for the meager pay they recieve. Hell, I make as much or more and any risks I take are purely at my own discretion, meaning I have a choice or not to put myself in harm's way. The LEO doesn't have the same choice.

On traffic citations : "Excuse me, the ticket or the lecture, but not both !":D
 
Fun Fact 6: Martha Stewart was convicted of lying to investigators. She said she didn't do something she did not even stand trial for.

Yes, I want to change the unjust laws, but as I said, I don't like people standing on my neck and saying "but I was told to stand here by your elected officials".

I know there are good cops, but the risk/reward ratio makes me choose to avoid them whenever possible. I wish it was different. But it isn't.

I can make a judgement on people even though I am not them. Sorry the job is hard but get off my neck.

Fun Fact 14: A cop does not have to have reasonable suspicion to stop me on the street. So if a cop says "I'd like to talk to you." It is not a detainment because I may walk away at any time. So I say "but I don't want to talk to you." and keep walking until given an order to stop. Now you might wonder why I am rude, see Fun Fact 6. I am not trying to be argumentative on THR, I am just saying why I feel the way I do.

If you believe I am out of line, please tell me what good comes from unnecessary exposure to Law Enforcement Agents? Again civility is the word of the day.
 
...and any risks I take are purely at my own discretion, meaning I have a choice or not to put myself in harm's way. The LEO doesn't have the same choice.
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There's a draft for LEOs?
 
My main problems with law enforcement are:

--Too many LEO's increasingly view themselves as part of a "warrior" caste. They view citizens as "civilians" not worthy of respect.

--The "thin blue line" mentality is another problem. There seems to be a notion that without active patrols of police, we "sheep" would be overrun by the criminal "wolves." The LEO's in this case are seen as the wolf hounds, or the wolves who fight for the sheep.

--The use of LEO's by local government to raise funds for city and state programs is particularly awful, though of course that's not the officer's fault. I do hate seeing speed traps set up that clearly have nothing to do with safety. In Alaska it's not unusal to see double fine work zones left in place long after the work has been completed, with troopers lurking off to the side of the road. The increase in minimum fines is another problem.

That said, most of my encounters with LEO's have been positive. I view them as a very important force for ensuring that court orders are enforced and that crimes are investigated. I don't realistically expect them to be able to stop crime before it happens, and I don't think people can blame them if crimes do take place.
 
OK, my dislike of cops stems from a variety of things many already commented on. Eliteism, heck that covers a lot of ground right there. I've been literally ripped off by them, had them try and find a something to charge me with when I had 'done the right thing' and called them for assisstance. They've lied under the color of law to me, taken stuff out of my house that wasn't on any warrant and was not immediately and obviously incriminating and had nothing to do with why they were there. I lied to them, they wanted to strike a deal, I believed them so told the truth thinking it was an honorable deal...I got charged with a felony for lieing and when I asked them to uphold their end of the deal I was told that its perfectly legal for an officer to lie in the course of his duties in order to get someone to do what they wanted them to do.

Thats the short version and encompasses several incidents.

Another thing is...I want to be able to recognize the police as my friend. I don't want to be at odds with them, hell were supposed to be on the same side. It seems like though, every time I make a step forward in being able to put my attitudes behind me...2 or 3 lick my boot boy types step in and quash any goodwill I may have built up with their bad attitudes. Its like they dont want to have goodwill or be on the same side. Mutual trust and respect means just that, "MUTUAL"--Effort on both sides.
 
Helping a distressed driver with a flat in the snow or rain or 120 degree heat?
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??????

Don't take this wrong, it's an honest question -- Were you being serious, or were you joking?

I ask because where I live the only "help" any LEO even might consider offering a stranded motorist is to park behind him/her with the bubble gum machine flashing while they wait for the tow truck to arrive. Often they don't even do that.

"Flat tire, huh? Got a cell phone?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Have a nice day."
 
LEO's are not there to help with flat tires or engine problems. It's nice if they want to help, but it's also a waste of taxpayer money.
 
Baba Louie and Carlos, if you're not cops, you should be. You have a better understanding of what cops actually do than some COPS do! And that is not an exaggeration.

Yes, police work is all that and more. You end up with some truly screwed up scenarios--and some truly funny ones, too.

You learn that the white-collar guy you are ticketing can be true, pure scum--and that the homeless guy you are talking to next can be a good person, a true gentleman who's down on his luck.

You can come to work raring to go, and be bored for 10 hours. Or, you can come to work half dead and totally sick with a splitting headache, and within 10 minutes have someone at gunpoint.

So, what are the rewards? Why is it worth it?

On rare occasions, a real scumbag REALLY screws up, and we get to take them down. HARD. And for a change, they DON'T walk on bail within 24 hours.

Driving up next to a car that contains a lost family from another state, who do not realize that they are in the middle of Crack Central, and actually keeping them out of harm's way.

Taking a guy to the Greyhound station, and watching his despair turn to hope when you give him $10 bucks to eat on for the day. (Incidentally, it also happens to be YOUR lunch money--but what the heck, you can bum a buck or two for the vending machine.)

And, the biggest award:

Having a girl or boy look up at you, and seeing them desperately tug at mom or dad's hand, whispering fiercely: "That's what I want to be!"

Baba Louie and Carlos--thanks.
 
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