Our Police

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

So I had my vehicle tagged today with the words "pig lover" and various other phrases which are full of bigotry and hatred. Why? Because of family members who are police officers,a bumper sticker and some choice words at a court hearing as a witness. This anti-police atmosphere is beginning to become rather worrying as it's beginning to boil over after being fueled by the ignorant masses.

Arrests and citations are dropping because police are scared to approach most people anymore, especially in hot spots around the country. Though these hot spots seem to be spreading like a virus. I'm beginning to fear for my life and the very people I look to for safety are beginning to become just as frightened as I am.

Out of curiosity I was wondering if anyone here would like to lightly weigh in on the recent troubles which seem to be plaguing our justice system as of late.

 

[York]

So I had my vehicle tagged today with the words "pig lover" and various other phrases which are full of bigotry and hatred. Why? Because of family members who are police officers,a bumper sticker and some choice words at a court hearing as a witness. This anti-police atmosphere is beginning to become rather worrying as it's beginning to boil over after being fueled by the ignorant masses.

Arrests and citations are dropping because police are scared to approach most people anymore, especially in hot spots around the country. Though these hot spots seem to be spreading like a virus. I'm beginning to fear for my life and the very people I look to for safety are beginning to become just as frightened as I am.

Out of curiosity I was wondering if anyone here would like to lightly weigh in on the recent troubles which seem to be plaguing our justice system as of late.

In my honest opinion; it's what the media coverage and attention has been drawn to; cases that are normally low profile are made a big deal for various reasons, race, injustice, etc etc. What's more is, it doesn't even take any hard found evidence anymore, just some news without many details and everyone jumps to their own conclusions. Sure some police officers have made mistakes and done some stupid things, but, unfortunately, with the way things are working, the most attention tends to be drawn to the bad things that cops do... Hence why the media covers it so much in the first place; because people flock to see that, and thus is where this becomes a loop. Sorry for rambling, but, my point is; all this centers around paranoia, jumping to conclusions way too quickly, and some rather biased media coverage.

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

In my honest opinion; it's what the media coverage and attention has been drawn to; cases that are normally low profile are made a big deal for various reasons, race, injustice, etc etc. What's more is, it doesn't even take any hard found evidence anymore, just some news without many details and everyone jumps to their own conclusions. Sure some police officers have made mistakes and done some stupid things, but, unfortunately, with the way things are working, the most attention tends to be drawn to the bad things that cops do... Hence why the media covers it so much in the first place; because people flock to see that, and thus is where this becomes a loop. Sorry for rambling, but, my point is; all this centers around paranoia, jumping to conclusions way too quickly, and some rather biased media coverage.

This is true and it's an absolute disgrace upon media for spinning stories to slander the good names of police officers sworn to duty everywhere.

I suppose I'm freaking out a bit because whomever tagged my car knows where I work.

 

[York]

This is true and it's an absolute disgrace upon media for spinning stories to slander the good names of police officers sworn to duty everywhere.

I suppose I'm freaking out a bit because whomever tagged my car knows where I work.

Well, don't let something like that hold you back from living your life, because really, if people are going to go around being a douchebag like that, it really isn't going to encourage any good behavior anywhere... Sure ain't gonna solve whatever problem they think the police force has if there even was one to begin with; also, if things get too bad you can always dupe them out by changing the routine a little, but, it's merely a suggestion that I'm not even certain will work o-o

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

Well, don't let something like that hold you back from living your life, because really, if people are going to go around being a douchebag like that, it really isn't going to encourage any good behavior anywhere... Sure ain't gonna solve whatever problem they think the police force has if there even was one to begin with; also, if things get too bad you can always dupe them out by changing the routine a little, but, it's merely a suggestion that I'm not even certain will work o-o

Well I contacted a local officer who patrols in that area to keep a lookout. Luckily the security cameras at work caught the vehicle and the license plate. They already have an APV out for their arrest.

 

[Jerelin]

Stay safe, please.

 

[York]

Well I contacted a local officer who patrols in that area to keep a lookout. Luckily the security cameras at work caught the vehicle and the license plate. They already have an APV out for their arrest.

Yeah, also; keep in mind that despite how it may look, not everyone does that sort of thing >.< it's most likely just that one guy who's maybe a little too quick to judge (and act) upon things.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

This anti-police atmosphere is beginning to become rather worrying as it's beginning to boil over after being fueled by the ignorant masses.

Honestly this looks like far from the beginning to me.
People have always hated cops, seen them as pigs, assholes etc.

Mainly because Cops to the unpleasant jobs by having to deal with some the most unpleasant people around.
Many of those people the Cops have to arrest. These same unpleasant people complain about the officers enforcing the law, their friends and family listen, they spread bias stories to others etc.
And eventually you got people who are getting mad at officers because the Law is a thing.

It's why I always take "Cops are assholes!" comments with a grain of salt.
Because the vast majority of the time I've heard it, it's been people who are saying it because they are criminals or because they think it's cool to be anti-authority.

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

It's why I always take "Cops are assholes!" comments with a grain of salt.
Because the vast majority of the time I've heard it, it's been people who are saying it because they are criminals or because they think it's cool to be anti-authority.

That is something I should consider more frequently, sadly my anger towards the subject gets the better of me. Admittedly it's bias due to family.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

The kinds of people who keep saying such things can be really infuriating and obnoxious.
So although I do agree that it's more wise to be ignoring them, at the same time I can hardly blame you for getting angry with them.

 

[Protagonist]

I dislike Anti-Police sentiment. I would greatly like to hear, just once, someone say "Y'know what's cool? Just authority!"
Well, I guess I just did...

But yeah, I'd say that 80% of the time, people who hate police are criminals (criminals always shout "oppression" in the face of justice. After all, they really dislike it when you stop them from hurting other people), and people who just want to sound "cool and rebellious", despite having no cause.

 

[Hatsune Candy]

The problem, from what I've seen, is that some people are just waaay too quick to generalize, and then they spread that around like it's the truth, completely neglecting anything that might contradict them. They see the news focusing on cops that are doing bad things and they automatically assume that must mean all cops are bad, since that's all they ever hear about; when, in actuality, the bad cops are the minority. And that mostly comes from the media distorting facts, or rather, ignoring the bigger picture and being completely biased. Basically what I'm saying is that the media tends to create a lot of harmful stereotypes and that's why the police are getting such a bad wrap.

There's also the problem of certain people who break the law, get arrested, and then complain about the cops doing their fucking job.
That's like getting mad at your parents for punishing you when you know you've done wrong, it's idiotic.

Also, yeah, sometimes people are just rebellious. I'm rebellious too, but I also have a little thing called common sense in that I don't hate people for putting their lives on the line in order to make the world a better place for the rest of us.

 

[Brovo]

I'm just waiting for someone to come into this thread at some point and start screaming "FUCK THE POPO'S! WHOOOO~"

In all seriousness though? Yes, the media does a shitty job of representing police officers. The majority of them are just regular people who are willing to do the underpaid and dangerous job of enforcing the law and stopping the dredges of society from creating disorder and panic. These are the people that make sure rights and freedoms remain that way. Yet the media will focus on that minority of officers that assaults and spits on minorities and other victim groups. You have situations where there are locations where the police forces are obviously corrupt (ex: Ferguson), and for some reason people then apply that example to every other police force out there.

You can't win this fight, either. There are thousands of people who side with obviously guilty people because they're black and the officer that arrested them was white: It's become so much of a race issue in the United States that it's actually somewhat frightening and backwards. Martin Luther King must be rolling in his grave at the sight of people intentionally segregating themselves away from each other into pro-police and anti-police factions when he wanted an unsegregated world.

I can't imagine this ending well. It's going to get worse before it gets better. All we can hope for is that the damage is contained sufficiently that it doesn't interrupt every day life.

I don't think people understand the consequences of actions anymore. I don't think they understand that without police officers, "civilization" would be a word and nothing more.

 

[Goldmarble]

To be honest?

In my personal opinion, Police have brought a rightful feeling of dislike upon themselves. Not hate, not anti-police, but a dislike.
And not for arresting criminals, or rightfully ticketing people, but for willful acts of impressing the perceived notion of their authority, to intimidate people who do not know the law, into compliance with unjust requests.

Stop and frisk. Asking to search someone's car without warrant. Asking to search a home without warrant. Etc.

Or from their works to set up speed traps, ticket quotas, and numerous other underhanded ways of harassing people for money.
Compound this with the touted line of "To Serve and Protect." Except that Police have no obligation to protect people in many jurisdictions (Warren v. District of Columbia, among others), or the simple fact that it is a rare circumstance that Police actually are able to Protect someone from becoming a victim. Why? Because the are not there when you need the officer. If you're lucky to call before you're a victim, a good response time in a city, is 8 minutes. In a suburban area? Longer. In a rural area? It can take over an hour. I think people are waking up to this fact, and the disillusionment is being twisted with all of the worse news of the wrong doings of Police officers, who frequently get lenient sentences or less for their crimes.

Case in point? http://watchdog.org/149224/cavity-search-case/


Yes. There are good officers out there. There are great officers out there. But there are seriously rotten bastards on the force, and either somehow keep their depravity hidden from their colleagues, or their colleagues pretend they don't see it, which is outright disgraceful.


Personally? If/when I am ever stopped by a Police Officer, for any reason, I will treat them with the same level of respect they show me. I will not call them Sir, unless I am given reason to respect them. Treat me like a human being, with all rights and freedoms I am entitled to? We will get along fine. Ask to search my car? I will take that as an insult.

 

[iMisterH]

In my opinion, I dislike people who look down on the police or call cops 'pigs'. It's just rude and disrespectful. The police are there to protect you and they risk their lives every day for you. They are the first person you would call for help if your house got burgled. Sure, there are some bad/corrupt cops out there but that doesn't necessarily mean that all cops are like that. From personal experience, the police here in the UK were very friendly and professional when I needed them.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

My brother-in-law is a cop, and while I don't like the guy personally, I don't think he should catch grief for his choice of profession. It's admirable to want to keep people safe. The problem isn't with cops in general, it's the media and how they make the police look. For every horror story about police brutality, there's a dozen other stories about how a cop goes out of his way to help someone in need. It's a few bad apples in the bunch who make the rest look bad, but unfortunately the media focuses on the bad apples more because everyone knows bad news sells better. What a sick and twisted society we are....

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

My brother-in-law is a cop, and while I don't like the guy personally, I don't think he should catch grief for his choice of profession. It's admirable to want to keep people safe. The problem isn't with cops in general, it's the media and how they make the police look. For every horror story about police brutality, there's a dozen other stories about how a cop goes out of his way to help someone in need. It's a few bad apples in the bunch who make the rest look bad, but unfortunately the media focuses on the bad apples more because everyone knows bad news sells better. What a sick and twisted society we are....

If I had a nickel for the amount of times I've seen an officer helping to change a tire on the side of the road or elbow deep looking at an engine, shoveling snow on a blocked in car or even just giving somebody a hand with a menial task because their old or crippled I'd probably have about ten dollars.

 

[Novis]

Stop and frisk. Asking to search someone's car without warrant. Asking to search a home without warrant. Etc.

This in fact isn't the fault of most police officers. That's in the fault of most state/local laws. It's presumed by more that they need a 'right' or a warrant, in many cases they don't. They are merely are working within the parameters of the laws they are given to work with. If they feel like they need to search your car while having you pulled over, if they feel there is something amiss, they can. They don't need a warrant or spoken reason to you to do so.

You want these kinda of things to change, the laws have to be changed. Pointing fingers at the Police at your rights being imposed upon will not change the situation.

Do I agree there are bad cops? Yup, there are. But the assumption of "Fuck the police" isn't so once you need them to come help you. :)

 

[Tick]

I haven't gotten that vibe locally, but I don't see a ton of cops or go in high-tension areas.

Sorry your association with that has gotten you in trouble, though, that sucks.

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

This in fact isn't the fault of most police officers. That's in the fault of most state/local laws. It's presumed by more that they need a 'right' or a warrant, in many cases they don't. They are merely are working within the parameters of the laws they are given to work with. If they feel like they need to search your car while having you pulled over, if they feel there is something amiss, they can. They don't need a warrant or spoken reason to you to do so.

You want these kinda of things to change, the laws have to be changed. Pointing fingers at the Police at your rights being imposed upon will not change the situation.

Do I agree there are bad cops? Yup, there are. But the assumption of "Fuck the police" isn't so once you need them to come help you. :)

To be honest?

In my personal opinion, Police have brought a rightful feeling of dislike upon themselves. Not hate, not anti-police, but a dislike.
And not for arresting criminals, or rightfully ticketing people, but for willful acts of impressing the perceived notion of their authority, to intimidate people who do not know the law, into compliance with unjust requests.

Stop and frisk. Asking to search someone's car without warrant. Asking to search a home without warrant. Etc.

Or from their works to set up speed traps, ticket quotas, and numerous other underhanded ways of harassing people for money.
Compound this with the touted line of "To Serve and Protect." Except that Police have no obligation to protect people in many jurisdictions (Warren v. District of Columbia, among others), or the simple fact that it is a rare circumstance that Police actually are able to Protect someone from becoming a victim. Why? Because the are not there when you need the officer. If you're lucky to call before you're a victim, a good response time in a city, is 8 minutes. In a suburban area? Longer. In a rural area? It can take over an hour. I think people are waking up to this fact, and the disillusionment is being twisted with all of the worse news of the wrong doings of Police officers, who frequently get lenient sentences or less for their crimes.

Case in point? http://watchdog.org/149224/cavity-search-case/


Yes. There are good officers out there. There are great officers out there. But there are seriously rotten bastards on the force, and either somehow keep their depravity hidden from their colleagues, or their colleagues pretend they don't see it, which is outright disgraceful.


Personally? If/when I am ever stopped by a Police Officer, for any reason, I will treat them with the same level of respect they show me. I will not call them Sir, unless I am given reason to respect them. Treat me like a human being, with all rights and freedoms I am entitled to? We will get along fine. Ask to search my car? I will take that as an insult.

I've had my vehicle searched once when an officer asked and I obliged. He found the handgun I had a licence and aside from that, the most he could probably pin on me was having a messy car. Crumbs and the such. But to my knowledge you can ask what the officers reasoning is, though they aren't required to give any reason other than the implied suspicion, it is a way to test that officers character depending on their response and how they respond. I asked and he replied, "We have reports of a vehicle of this color that was involved in a local burglary." Now I admittedly don't know my law to well and there are ways to dispute an unwarranted search and in my mind I say, "What's to hide?"

But it's a matter of principle at that point, privacy and the such. I mean you wouldn't let just anyone snoop around your vehicle or home, even friends. Hell even family. But I digress.

That and @Goldmarble I agree with that last bit wholeheartedly, save for the sir part. Can't break the habit of calling every male equally or older than I am or holds some position of authority sir. I blame my years in the boy scouts.