Do you respect your police force?

[easternflame]

Mexico City here.
'Sigh'.
I don't think they respect themselves.
They once arrested us here. Me and my cousin, we were jogging. Looked "suspicious". All they wanted was money(obviously ILEGAL). We paid and they let us go but me and my cousin were clever enough to enough to write their numbers. We got the stuff they confiscated back and they ended up in jail.
EDIT: They are corrupt pigs. Just look at them

Spoiler: Proudly Fat

 

[deathninja]

Aside from the monumental fuck-ups (ending in SCRs) Leicestershire are pretty good. Not heavy handed, beat cops are approachable, and they've got a decent FB/twitter presence, which they use well for keeping civvies informed during operations (especially at the minute.)

 

[Weaver]

No, I feel they're corrupt, lazy and getting paid far too much. They also act as a gang, I seen police drive illegally all the time and even harass citizens for no reason.

In Toronto they just got a salary increase and the majority of the police are making over $100,000 a year; which is far and above the national average. You shouldn't be making over 100 grand for sitting in your car at a construction site "providing security".

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I respect the policemen here in Australia. They do a risky a job, and most of them (presumably) aren't doing it for the power thrill.

That said, I hate what they stand for. So...as people, I respect them. As a force, I do not.

 

[orangeban]

I have a complicated views of the police, seeing as I've met two kinds roughly, the thuggish, rude bastard kind, and the polite and helpful kind. I think it's a bout 50/50 in terms of split, maybe leaning more towards thugs.

 

[dragonhunter21]

I respect police officers in general, because they do a very important service that I couldn't do myself. However, just like any other person, if they act like an ass, then I don't respect them. But by and large, police forces do a dangerous, thankless job for often little pay and they do it with respect and kindness.

 

[Kryzantine]

NYPD... shit, far better than 15 years ago. I mean, some of them are dicks, but that's expected everywhere. I've seen a few domestic disturbance calls, and the cops were pretty good people. And I haven't seen harassment incidents.

Yet most people from outside NYC look at them, see the subway station units (which are usually 5-6 cops armed with assault rifles, and a drug sniffing dog), and instantly distrust the police. It's kind of funny.

 

[Alar]

Nope. I respect individual officers based on how much hell they go through and because they don't abuse their power, but being a cop does not automatically grant any more respect from me than just being a civvy.

I'd have to agree here. I -try- to have respect for military personnel, only because I know their training is fairly hardcore and they're basically selling their souls to our government (that's not something I respect, but the fact that they're willing to do it either means stupidity or balls, and in my brother-in-law's case, I'm going with balls).

Pretty much where I live, the most cops do is ticket people for speeding and traffic violations. Occasionally breaking up domestic disputes too.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Texan here.

All the ones I've met are really nice and funny...as they hand me a ticket.

I mean, I respect them. They're just doing they're job. That's not saying there are dicks out there.

 

[HT_Black]

In general, yeah. The local municipality makes a point of not hiring anyone who would willingly shoot another person. They're nice folks by and large, and for that I appreciate them--that they make a living stopping crime is just icing on the cake.

 

[HT_Black]

Southeast America talking: In general, yeah. The local municipality makes a point of not hiring anyone who would willingly shoot another person. They're nice folks by and large, and for that I appreciate them--that they make a living stopping crime is just icing on the cake.

 

[Joshimodo]

I respect what they stand for, but I do not respect the ridiculous people in charge. The amount of red tape coming from head office and the government has utterly crippled the law enforcement in this country.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Canadian here, I think that there is less crime being reported by police rather than a decrease in crime itself so whenever the police chiefs declare crime is down _% I take it with a giant grain of salt. Still, I respect the RCMP. Anyone who puts their life on the line daily for my sake is alright with me. I haven't had any negative dealings with them. It's like my relationship here with the mods actually. I don't flip out when I get angry and lash at nearby bystanders and I don't have to be treated like a criminal for it.

 

[Delock]

I deal out my respect to those who earn it. So far, I've only met one police officer I've respected. Most of the others were just plain dicks. They treated all kids like criminals, they used deceitful tactics to get what they wanted, and one was a controlling bastard who went out of his way to make everyone's life hell whenever he could.
The officer I respected was one that rarely displayed any of that sort of dickish behavior, not to mention that the two of the times I saw him in action were both when he broke up some really nasty fights in some of the most extraordinary ways he could (He literally picked up two people in one of those and held them fully apart from one another at about 3 feet off the ground and carried them away).

 

[souper soup guy]

I don't respect my police force, I respect the law, but I will not take any crap from a cop when one of them tries to impede upon my rights.
For example, if a cop pulled me over for speeding I'd respect him and his authority. However if a cop pulled me over for a random search I'd tell him to get either leave me alone or get a warrant.

 

[Titan Buttons]

Nope. I respect individual officers based on how much hell they go through and because they don't abuse their power, but being a cop does not automatically grant any more respect from me than just being a civvy.

This is the exact same view I have of the local police force.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Well my cousin is a police officer, so naturally I respect the police force. I actually think the police have been unnecessarily crippled in their ability to do their job all in the name of making sure everything is "fair."

 

[ShadowKatt]

I don't trust anyone with authority. Let's analyze this for a moment.

Politicians have power and authority. They can write and change laws and will backstab anyone to suit themselves

Priests, Ministers, etc have power and authority. They control whether or not you go to heaven or condemn you to damnation. They also mentally, emotionally, and sexually abuse people, usually minors.

Police have power and authority. As they enforce the laws, they are thereby immune to the laws and can abuse, assault, or oppress without fear of retribution, and do so regularly.

I've known a few police officers, one of them quite well back when I was in the scouts. I've noticed that they can be fine people out of uniform, but put the badge on and they become Orwellian monsters. I don't respect them, I fear them. I fear them because they have the power to do anything, and I haven't the power to even defend myself.

 

[S-Unleashed]

I respect them until I've seen otherwise.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

As the old saying goes "respect is earned no given".

While there are police men/women that do a good job there are others that don't.

This. And I have the utmost consideration for how hard their jobs can - and probably are - be (oh the grammarity).