So you wanted to know why cops are such assholes? Go ahead, ask.

[nepheleim]

So, something I hear a lot, both in person and online, are that cops are assholes. A lot of other things (corrupt, violent, whatever) but the only one I find to be true is that they are indeed assholes. Even when they're nice, they're assholes. And the only thing I would challenge you to do is find out why this is the case. For example, we have an anonymous blogger here who writes why police can be such dicks, and frankly, I think they've got of got a right to be dicks.

http://perspectivefromthestreet.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-such-assholes.html

On the other hand, we see how the news treats police. So, in the spirit of discussion, I want to invite you all to have questions you may have answered by yours truly, a former police officer. Some caveats, each state has their own laws, and each department has their own practices, so I can't answer every questions about every jurisdiction out there. I won't give out my former employer's name, because that's just unprofessional, in my opinion. Questions will be answered within a reasonable time frame (I've got a job and all to do during the day), and I'll cut off questions on Monday, let's say.

Get crackin'

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

My dad always told me to never stare at a cop when I was a kid, because they are watching everyone for suspicious activity everywhere they go, and if they notice you staring you can get unwanted attention. Do you think that's fair to say?

 

[Pr0]

Cops are assholes because literally everyone they have to deal with is a liar or is attempting to fuck with them.

Its probably the worst job in the world because you literally start viewing the rest of the human race as some kind of sub-species to "cops" and the only people that are actually people are "cops".

In all fairness this isn't always 100% the cops fault. Cause as stated their entire life is filled, from the day the put on the badge, with the absolute dregs of their local culture, and whether its a routine traffic stop with some snotty soccer mom thats dropping names of local politicians and calling for the officers badge or some punk kid trying to deny the pound of coke in his car is his or a stone cold thug gangster thats resisting arrest...literally EVERYONE is trying to fuck them around or fuck them over.

It gets even worse once these cops get drug into court and Public Defenders and paid defense attorney's try to rip their careers apart in attempt to get Lil Johnny "Not My Coke" back on the streets by pointing out flaws in the officers testimony and reports.

As a cop...you eventually start believing that it is literally you against everyone else on the planet...and why? Cause you wanted to help people...and that will turn even the most idealistic personality a bit sour after a few years of it.

Cops are products of their environment, unfortunately, their environment is every maladjusted asshole in their jurisdiction...so they go from regular people that wanted to be cops, to maladjusted assholes rather fast.

 

[Johnny Impact]

I have one of those wide clip-on rearview mirrors. Officer once spent a solid five minutes grilling me about it -- where did I get it, how long ago, why did I have it, et cetera. He spent longer on that than the unrelated minor thing for which he had pulled me over.

I know police have those mirrors in their cruisers, so it's not like he didn't know what it was. My question is, what's the big deal? Do criminals use them to watch for tailing cops? People hide their coke stash up in there? Folks steal them out of cruisers? What gives?

 

[Risingblade]

I have one of those wide clip-on rearview mirrors. Officer once spent a solid five minutes grilling me about it -- where did I get it, how long ago, why did I have it, et cetera. He spent longer on that than the unrelated minor thing for which he had pulled me over.

I know police have those mirrors in their cruisers, so it's not like he didn't know what it was. My question is, what's the big deal? Do criminals use them to watch for tailing cops? People hide their coke stash up in there? Folks steal them out of cruisers? What gives?

Probably the drugs, you can hide drugs just about anywhere in a car.

 

[Vault101]

I used to want to be a police officer when I was a kid and I've always had a bit of authoritarian leaning (used too) so it makes me cringe a bit when the police are constantly demonised

That said sympathetic as I am (because let's be honest you deal with shit on a regular basis it will get to you) I won't deny problems like culture, power trips and racism are probably factors, power and authority can be abused especially towards vulnerable groups and the US seems to have a specific problem with its police force

 

[The Only Gay Eskimo]

First of all what does asshole mean?

I'm fine with them being grumpy and snarky, but I think what people have a problem with is when they go out and shoot people for next to no reason. Or because they're black.

 

[chuckman1]

Sorry but I don't like them. Some are not bad, a large amount. I am biased because I saw them arrest a family member as a child. But the constant shooting black people in the back that doesn't get recorded along with fascist tendencies sure isn't helping. Maybe other cops aren't so bad. And American cops>Mexican cops>Colombian cops. I understand shooting a guy who pulls out a gun. But when white mass shooters are brought in alive while black child support dodgers are shot in the back, this is fucked up and I don't like it.

 

[Lufia Erim]

I'm a visible minority. Should i continue to be wary of police even if i'm doing not doing anything wrong?


I'm literally afraid of cops. I won't even be friends/date anyone who has a policeman as a family memeber.

 

[lord canti]

I have nothing but respect for most cops, hell my best friends dad is a cop. I've also only had one encounter with a cop who was an asshole, but all the others ones were always very professional. That being said I do acknowledge that the police force has a lot of corruption in it and that in some cases cops can indeed get away with murder, though I think those cops are in the minority. In the end most cops have a reason to be assholes with all the shit they have to deal with.

 

[lord canti]

Cops are assholes because literally everyone they have to deal with is a liar or is attempting to fuck with them.

Its probably the worst job in the world because you literally start viewing the rest of the human race as some kind of sub-species to "cops" and the only people that are actually people are "cops".

In all fairness this isn't always 100% the cops fault. Cause as stated their entire life is filled, from the day the put on the badge, with the absolute dregs of their local culture, and whether its a routine traffic stop with some snotty soccer mom thats dropping names of local politicians and calling for the officers badge or some punk kid trying to deny the pound of coke in his car is his or a stone cold thug gangster thats resisting arrest...literally EVERYONE is trying to fuck them around or fuck them over.

It gets even worse once these cops get drug into court and Public Defenders and paid defense attorney's try to rip their careers apart in attempt to get Lil Johnny "Not My Coke" back on the streets by pointing out flaws in the officers testimony and reports.

As a cop...you eventually start believing that it is literally you against everyone else on the planet...and why? Cause you wanted to help people...and that will turn even the most idealistic personality a bit sour after a few years of it.

Cops are products of their environment, unfortunately, their environment is every maladjusted asshole in their jurisdiction...so they go from regular people that wanted to be cops, to maladjusted assholes rather fast.

Yes because every single encounter cops have are with people who want to fuck with them. I won't deny the fact that their are a lot of people who make cops jobs harder than it needs to be, but I from the cops I know these people are not as often as you would think.

Edit: I apologize if I came off as assholish. I had a long shift at work and I'm not exactly thinking logically.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I come from a country where cops are not exactly very nice. But it's hardly their fault. Along with all the reasons the OP stated, they have less pay, no benefits, and bad equipment. It;s four officers to a squad car where I live. To them, accepting bribes is a necessary thing to get by. But I think another reason that cops are considered assholes is because every single mistake they make is broadcasted everywhere, while the good things they do are relegated to click bait material. Of the million of police officers in the world, one guy or girl screws up and all of a sudden every cop ever is a dick? And the "cops are racist" thing, I'm half-half. That seems to be only a problem in the States, and I have my doubts if it is even a thing. So yeah, OP, what do you think about racial profiling, or at least the general public's assumption that cops are racist?

 

[The Only Gay Eskimo]

First of all what does asshole mean?

I'm fine with them being grumpy and snarky, but I think what people have a problem with is when they go out and shoot people for next to no reason. Or because they're black.

Sorry but I don't like them. Some are not bad, a large amount. I am biased because I saw them arrest a family member as a child. But the constant shooting black people in the back that doesn't get recorded along with fascist tendencies sure isn't helping. Maybe other cops aren't so bad. And American cops>Mexican cops>Colombian cops. I understand shooting a guy who pulls out a gun. But when white mass shooters are brought in alive while black child support dodgers are shot in the back, this is fucked up and I don't like it.

Nice to see the over generalization is still there. Singling out what one Officer or a very few amount of them has done (which it is, it's an incredibly small number of Police Officers that do this sort of shit) and judging the rest of them on it? (which you've both done) is just stupid. Completely and utterly stupid.

I'm a visible minority. Should i continue to be wary of police even if i'm doing not doing anything wrong?


I'm literally afraid of cops. I won't even be friends/date anyone who has a policeman as a family memeber.

I'm a 6'3 white guy and I've been approached, questioned and even followed by Police even though I hadn't done a single thing wrong. Should I judge them and call out racism because they're doing their job? Should I make sure my possible friends meet the criteria of not being related to a Law Enforcement Officer?

Narrow minded fools like you are another factor that contributes to certain cops acting the way they do. If I was being called racist and judged by people for doing my job I'd be pretty damn bitter about it too.

Even if only a few officers are doing it, all the other cops protect them. So don't give me this "not all of them are like that" shit.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Nice to see the over generalization is still there. Singling out what one Officer or a very few amount of them has done (which it is, it's an incredibly small number of Police Officers that do this sort of shit) and judging the rest of them on it? (which you've both done) is just stupid. Completely and utterly stupid.

You will note that the police, as an institution, tends to be quick to support their own when they do they something racist.

EDIT: Too slow, a gay eskimo beat me too it.

 

[Flames66]

I have great respect for individual police officers who do their job properly and do not get involved in other people business. At any moment a police officer could be called upon to do anything from confronting a gang of armed and dangerous murderers to comforting a dying child.

I Have no respect for the institution. It is the enforcement branch of an authority I do not recognise as legitimate. I would treat a police officer with no more or less respect and courtesy than any other person I happened to meet. I would, however, treat them with far more suspicion.

 

[chuckman1]

First of all what does asshole mean?

I'm fine with them being grumpy and snarky, but I think what people have a problem with is when they go out and shoot people for next to no reason. Or because they're black.

Sorry but I don't like them. Some are not bad, a large amount. I am biased because I saw them arrest a family member as a child. But the constant shooting black people in the back that doesn't get recorded along with fascist tendencies sure isn't helping. Maybe other cops aren't so bad. And American cops>Mexican cops>Colombian cops. I understand shooting a guy who pulls out a gun. But when white mass shooters are brought in alive while black child support dodgers are shot in the back, this is fucked up and I don't like it.

Nice to see the over generalization is still there. Singling out what one Officer or a very few amount of them has done (which it is, it's an incredibly small number of Police Officers that do this sort of shit) and judging the rest of them on it? (which you've both done) is just stupid. Completely and utterly stupid.

I'm a visible minority. Should i continue to be wary of police even if i'm doing not doing anything wrong?


I'm literally afraid of cops. I won't even be friends/date anyone who has a policeman as a family memeber.

I'm a 6'3 white guy and I've been approached, questioned and even followed by Police even though I hadn't done a single thing wrong. Should I judge them and call out racism because they're doing their job? Should I make sure my possible friends meet the criteria of not being related to a Law Enforcement Officer?

Narrow minded fools like you are another factor that contributes to certain cops acting the way they do. If I was being called racist and judged by people for doing my job I'd be pretty damn bitter about it too.

Sure you've been followed and questioned but did you as an adult man get called "boy" in a condescending manner like many black men? Did you as a white guy suffer from longer jail sentences and higher arrests on average for the same thing as other races?
Also native americans get killed by the cops but nobody talks about it because they're a small minority.
The police interaction with black people in the US started as, keeping slaves in line, catching run away slaves, then enforcing segregation. While that is not their function today, that culture does not go away overnight.

Also even though a lot of people respect the police I'd say the higher amount of brown and black people's disdain for them is not just imagined. The institution is racist.

The biggest problem? The blue code of silence encourages cops to never be honest if they see another one break the law.

Walking around with black or brown friends in a rich neighborhood I would be stopped and questioned a lot.
Walking around by myself or with other white people? It happened but not as much. And the tone was less confronting.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

First of all what does asshole mean?

I'm fine with them being grumpy and snarky, but I think what people have a problem with is when they go out and shoot people for next to no reason. Or because they're black.

Sorry but I don't like them. Some are not bad, a large amount. I am biased because I saw them arrest a family member as a child. But the constant shooting black people in the back that doesn't get recorded along with fascist tendencies sure isn't helping. Maybe other cops aren't so bad. And American cops>Mexican cops>Colombian cops. I understand shooting a guy who pulls out a gun. But when white mass shooters are brought in alive while black child support dodgers are shot in the back, this is fucked up and I don't like it.

Nice to see the over generalization is still there. Singling out what one Officer or a very few amount of them has done (which it is, it's an incredibly small number of Police Officers that do this sort of shit) and judging the rest of them on it? (which you've both done) is just stupid. Completely and utterly stupid.

I'm a visible minority. Should i continue to be wary of police even if i'm doing not doing anything wrong?


I'm literally afraid of cops. I won't even be friends/date anyone who has a policeman as a family memeber.

I'm a 6'3 white guy and I've been approached, questioned and even followed by Police even though I hadn't done a single thing wrong. Should I judge them and call out racism because they're doing their job? Should I make sure my possible friends meet the criteria of not being related to a Law Enforcement Officer?

Narrow minded fools like you are another factor that contributes to certain cops acting the way they do. If I was being called racist and judged by people for doing my job I'd be pretty damn bitter about it too.

Even if only a few officers are doing it, all the other cops protect them. So don't give me this "not all of them are like that" shit.

Nice to see the over generalization is still there. Singling out what one Officer or a very few amount of them has done (which it is, it's an incredibly small number of Police Officers that do this sort of shit) and judging the rest of them on it? (which you've both done) is just stupid. Completely and utterly stupid.

You will note that the police, as an institution, tends to be quick to support their own when they do they something racist.

EDIT: Too slow, a gay eskimo beat me too it.

Would you rat out your friends? Especially those you trust with your life everyday? It's not right, but I can understand if they do. Back in third year of high school, my entire batch had a Fight Club thing going on and it took betting and a fractured hand for the faculty to learn about it.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Would you rat out your friends? Especially those you trust with your life everyday?

Oh certainly, I can see why fellow officers would do it. I don't agree with it, and it's something that far too many people do in any institution or group, and I think a lot of it is simple denial.

The people in positions of authority over them, however, have less of an excuse not to act.

 

[Eddie the head]

I have one of those wide clip-on rearview mirrors. Officer once spent a solid five minutes grilling me about it -- where did I get it, how long ago, why did I have it, et cetera. He spent longer on that than the unrelated minor thing for which he had pulled me over.

I know police have those mirrors in their cruisers, so it's not like he didn't know what it was. My question is, what's the big deal? Do criminals use them to watch for tailing cops? People hide their coke stash up in there? Folks steal them out of cruisers? What gives?

One time a cop asked me if I had drugs I said "umm no." Guy spent like 3 min asking why I said "umm." But I get pulled over more then most people I ride a bike home at midnight, and I have long hair.