Poll: Cops: Love Em' or Hate Em'?

[Shock and Awe]

Due to the recent Gates scandal, there have been many people voicing there opinions on not only that situation in particular, but also on police in general, so I thought a thread would be appropriate, and yes, I did use the search button for "Cops" and "Police" and got nothing.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

The police risk their lives every day in an effort to make the world a better place. While there are a few bad apples, I certainly wouldn't let that color my opinion of the whole bunch. For the most part they are brave men and women working in a thankless environment where they have to witness the worst humanity has to offer on a daily basis and I try to thank them at every opportunity for thier sacrifices.

 

[Gerazzi]

They risk their lives and everything but some of them are just corrupt as hell.
So I'll say I don't care

 

[Unreliable]

On the one hand I generally feel bad for cops:
It's a shitty job, but not just that, a shitty life too. You risk your life, you get paid shit, if you are a cop you probably have trouble making friends who aren't cops - so most of your friends are other members of the force (which is dangerously insular), and you have to do tons of paperwork and abide by regulations galore.

The problem is that this results in them taking out a good deal of their resentment on the very people they are supposed to protect - especially the very poor (cough, Rodney King, cough). They tend to prey on citizens, rather than actively protecting and helping them, and send people away for petty crimes like drug possession (which should be treated like a public health issue, if even a crime at all), so that America now locks away more of its people per capita than anyone else in the world (even China). Not to mention the general level of brutality shown to peaceful protesters (RNC 08, cough, Battle of Seattle).

Now, they aren't all bad of course, but I'd say that the good ones are the minority. If your white and rich and in the suburbs, yeah, of course they wont bother you. If your black, or poor, living in the poor part of town, they can make your life a living hell.

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

As with any group of people some are great others are bastards. Whichever they are, they still do a dangerous job, so as long as they don't abuse their power and inconvenience completely innocent people for kicks then I have nothing against them.

 

[Radeonx]

I'm indifferent. Some of them try very hard to keep the cities safe, putting themselves at risk almost all the time. Others are corrupt and sometimes abuse their powers. So, I'm neutral.

 

[Insanum]

I want to be a police officer. I dont love em because in the UK some are complete tossers, Others are alright.

 

[RetiarySword]

There important. I don't care if I am stopped, they are just checking random people I mean I have nothing to hide. If people have nothing to hide why would they care?

 

[Gashad]

I went with like them. They full fill a vital role in any society, and most have specifically chosen this line of work so they can help others, often endangering themselves. However they are also human which means some will misuse their power. My country also has the brilliant system that the police force is suppose to deal with any misuse of power internally(which is often a euphemism for not dealing with abuses of power at all).

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

They're mostly ordinary people working really hard to make the world a better place. They are good.

 

[magnuslion]

I try not to generalize entire groups of people. but I know a lot of cops are corrupt and use their power to their own ends. I think these people should be held to a higher standard and serious criminal actions by them treated as treason.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

Most are fine, but my friend and I were beaten by cops one time because they thought we were theft suspects. After they threw us to the ground (without us resisting) cuffed our hands and legs, put guns to our heads, and slammed us into a wall several times, we walked back to the squad car to hear the dispatcher describing the suspects (which were nothing like us). They then said "I guess it's not ya'll" and proceeded to release us. No apology or anything. So by and large cops are decent men and women, but there are some that are corrupt or have god complexes, and those should be removed from the force.

 

[Jedoro]

I like 'em because I'd like to be one, and I wouldn't want to join a group I hate. I'll reserve further judgments for when I get to meet my new coworkers, but I think I'll be a good one. I've had power before (JROTC in high school) so I think I know how to handle it. I always remember how my instructor told me that I would always work too much, so I like to see that as a good thing. I never was a fan of putting myself up on a pedestal, or abusing any power I had. Power is to be used for the betterment of everyone, not just the wielder.

 

[Biek]

Ive never been arrested or fined. Any other contact I had with them were for the sake of my own well being. (showed up after someone beat the crap out of me, And to evacuate me when the appartment downstairs was on fire.)

 

[The Rockerfly]

I love them, they make the world a safer place and they have to put up with a lot of crap. I do hate the amount of paper work they have to do otherwise I would probably try and join The Police Force

 

[I Call Her Vera]

Given that I will start training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in a little over two weeks I am going to go with loving cops. It would be a shame to hate myself.

 

[Abedeus]

My dad is a cop and few times I got to go to work with him. His colleges were always friendly, helpful and decent.

Also, they let me off the hook when I was tresspassing over railroads with my bike. I honestly didn't know you can't do that ;d.

 

[Wadders]

My mates mum is a police officer and shes nice enough... Some are assholes who join up just to beat people up and be nasty, but hey, its the same in all walks of life.

I think they deserve far more respect than they currently get, and in the UK at least, they deserve a bit more power in my opinion. Trouble is, most will use the power for goods, but others will abuse it.

All in all, I like them, you have nothing to fear if you've done nothing wrong, and they are there to help. I just wish there were more of them around to be honest...

 

[ThePirateMan]

Sadly some cops are f***ing assholes, like one cop stoped a car when the driver hasn't done anything at all and goes like "Do you know what you've done wrong?! Do you know what?!" "No I didn't do anything wrong.." "I think you did something wrong!" "I Didn't do anything wrong.." and about the same thing for 15 minutes -.-

 

[Xvito]

I don't like government. And I most certainly don't like a government with a monopoly on violence...

I honestly don't think they're necessary.

--Xvito, keeping it excellent.