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

[SonOfVoorhees]

Remember, cops have heard every single excuse you can say. They also see more shitty people than good people so i am not surprised in how they act with people. Though, having worked with UK police, am glad they are not armed when you see how the american police behave. Though the shitty ones are a minority and you get racist fuckers everywhere and its not worth bad mouthing a group based on a few bad apples. Its all white police vs black people. An the black people are not all innocent. But also not all black people are criminals. So lets not brand everyone with the same brush. Who ever commits a crime gets dealt with.

 

[Flutterguy]

I don't have any real problems with cops, although like most people I break a few minor laws and have to be paranoid of them from time to time, but the only time I've ever gotten a fine was a trespassing ticket, which was only because my friend refused to let them search her purse and insulted them and made a scene. I would have given us tickets after that too. Usually for minor infractions I get a warning and am sent on my way home, sometimes offered a ride.

Some of them can be rude, but I usually chalk it down as them havi g a bad day, I'm sure some are dicks, every career has em. I've found female cops are a bit harder to deal with for whatever reason, maybe they feel they need to prove themselves or people treat them worse, or I've experienced a fluke.

I guess I'll ask OP this; do you feel female cops are more aggressive, if so why do you think that is?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Not all police officers are assholes. I've known some cops that were actually pretty nice people. Also my cousin is a cop with the RCMP and, while I've never seen him on duty, I've never known him to be an asshole.

I worked with police in the UK. An i could never do that in USA. Those police have to face every case with the knowledge that the criminals could have a gun. An they could die. Such a scary and stressful job. Imagine that, you do your job and you could be shot - its life or death choices. Some cops may shoot for protection and maybe early and i can understand that. Though, if the criminal is obviously unarmed and/or running away. Then no shooting.

 

[nepheleim]

I don't have any real problems with cops, although like most people I break a few minor laws and have to be paranoid of them from time to time, but the only time I've ever gotten a fine was a trespassing ticket, which was only because my friend refused to let them search her purse and insulted them and made a scene. I would have given us tickets after that too. Usually for minor infractions I get a warning and am sent on my way home, sometimes offered a ride.

Some of them can be rude, but I usually chalk it down as them havi g a bad day, I'm sure some are dicks, every career has em. I've found female cops are a bit harder to deal with for whatever reason, maybe they feel they need to prove themselves or people treat them worse, or I've experienced a fluke.

I guess I'll ask OP this; do you feel female cops are more aggressive, if so why do you think that is?

Female officers can be every inch as aggressive in some respects as male officers. In some instances, the job demands and pressures them to become overly aggressive, to display that they can charge just as hard as the male officers, which isn't entirely fair. One advantage that female officers often have is a different form of assertiveness.

A male officer drives down the street, turns a corner, and spies a guy putting a dime bag in his pocket. 9/10 he'll immediately approach the guy, pat him down, get the dime bag, and then transport. Female officers, under the same circumstance, will immediately approach the guy while radioing backup, pat him down, get the bag, and then continue to search the rest of him. It's odd, because we're trained to do the latter, yet male officers are constantly being surprised when a less than thorough search turns up another little baggy in the book in search. Further, female officers seem less finnicky about searching crotches for things, than men are. I can't explain that one either.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Not all police officers are assholes. I've known some cops that were actually pretty nice people. Also my cousin is a cop with the RCMP and, while I've never seen him on duty, I've never known him to be an asshole.

I worked with police in the UK. An i could never do that in USA. Those police have to face every case with the knowledge that the criminals could have a gun. An they could die. Such a scary and stressful job. Imagine that, you do your job and you could be shot - its life or death choices. Some cops may shoot for protection and maybe early and i can understand that. Though, if the criminal is obviously unarmed and/or running away. Then no shooting.

Well I imagine going into work everyday with the knowledge that today could be the day you get shot as killed by some random jackass with a gun would do a number on you.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Most people don't get shot by police. They say that police aren't courteous or polite or pleasant to be around, which varies from individual to individual. No definition of asshole includes randomly shooting people. That would be more "psychopath" or "spree killer".

Addressing that point, it's incredibly rare for an officer in this day and age in the United States to go shoot somebody for "next to no reason" and I can't find evidence of one, in recent history, who shot a man "because they're black".

If you want me to, I can PM several stories where police officers are caught harassing and sometimes tasing minorities while bragging about it, or doing it for shits and giggles. They aren't fun reads.

Something that has always irked me is when a cop does something bad or is corrupt the media is there to cover it and generalize all cops as bad. Yet when a cop does something good the media pretty much ignores it and says that a cop was just doing their job. The story about the cop that was killed inside the GameStop stopping a robbery is one such instance. I saw maybe one or two news stories on it and that was it.

Even if he was just doing his job the man went above and beyond giving his life to stop a crime.

I found it a shame that not that many people were focusing on the story. It is a shame. It's actually a horrible shame. Like everyone, there are people who do what they do because they believe in it, and people who do what they do because they can get something from it. Officer Wilson does remind us that there are many cops who do the first. And we are simultaneously lessened by his loss and strengthened to remember there are police officers out there like this.

But there is a flip side.

As a minority who is 'acceptable' (speak proper english, educated, affable), and because of my jobs and former interests (Personal Trainer and was thinking about becoming an NYPD), cops have opened up to me. And some stand by racial profiling. It works, they claim. Many will have to suffer for a few, because while I'm sure they do arrest a lot of minorities, they are not arresting all those minorities because all are not committing these crimes.

But it's somehow wrong of me to see this out pouring of a handful of cops doing something wrong and having been unfairly harassed in the past... it's wrong for me to be afraid of cops? How is what I'm doing any different from what they are doing? The only difference is, still the majority of people will believe the officer above my word. I'm just another one lying.

And therein lies my OT to this thread.

Everything is populated with humans.

some are good, some are bad, some are blank. That's the way life is.

But no one is given as much Laissez Faire power as the United States Police. Yesterday I saw two local politicians go down for bribery and misconduct. Swift turn over, too. A few months. Teachers aren't given the benefit of the doubt. You find texts about students, they go down. The entire education board will review conduct between teachers and students to make sure the parents feel safe. Plane crashes? Delve deep into the pilot's life, show how they were damaged here and there, offer apologizes and make sure you give a lot of clap trap that this will never happen again.

Each month for the past... I almost want to say year and a half.. we get new videos about improper use of power, abuse, and misconduct. Outright lies that these videos now show conflict. The 'some bad apples' argument doesn't soothe anyone because the question becomes "What if I run into a bad apple?"

Do I sit there and get beat and hope I survive... for what? No one's going to believe me. Hell, I might get resisting arrest because I covered my face.

There are tons of reports that completely conflict with what the authorities are saying. From the New Jersey Man last year who Beat in the face while his hands were up, all the while the police officer yelled "Stop Reaching for my Gun!". The big names like Tamir Rice where the cops made the 12 year old out to be a 23 year old man who refused repeated requests to put the gun down. Police grilling John Crawford III's girlfriend on why he had a gun in the store even though they already saw it was a airsoft toy gun... trying to make her say that he really did have a gun so it could be a justifiable shoot.

By the way, John Crawford III's death happened in Ohio. It's an Open Carry State. You don't need a license to own one. In fact, around 40 people went to that same Wal Mart carrying rifles. There was literally no reason for Crawford's death. No one held the police accountable.

And that's where it gets bad.

Citizens Allow Cops To Do This.

Through their own biases, believing the best about cops... time and time again, Cops commit 'accidents' and are let go by us. No one wants police to stop doing their jobs. They just want to either cut the needless lethality or at least when mistakes happen, they are treated like everyone else and held accountable for their actions. Not protected by the Blue Line that's just supposed to police, not make people untouchable and unaccountable.

Listen, I sound like a cop hater. I'm a cop fearer. I said before I was going to be NYPD. I didn't continue my NYPD registration after my call back because that month I found out that my ex Martial Artist teacher's father was killed by a police officer. The local news made it sound like he was a crazy man that came at him with a hatchet. When the true story came out, things we redacted and the officers were still let go.

It's hard to put your trust in people when you know your life will never matter as much as their word.

 

[asinann]

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.

It doesn't help that when a cop tries to either stop a beating or reports an abuse of power, the one doing the reporting gets fired and blacklisted.

Why? Is it corruption or is there actually a good reason for doing something like that?

Can there BE a good reason to fire a cop who tries to do the right thing and stop the abuse?

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Most of the cops I've ever dealt with, when on the wrong side of the law, have only ever given me a verbal warning, detained me on the spot once, but let me go at that. Usually they're pretty polite. Though in my town there is one cop they put on homeless duty all the time and he wears his badge heavy attitude on his sleeve. A real jerk out of a department I've found that's actually pretty nice, reasonable, and very fair.

But I have two questions:
Why do police suddenly become very stiff and sometimes aggressive when they find out a law abiding citizen is legally carrying a concealed weapon, a gun specifically?

Second and this has happened to both me and some friends... Why do police tend to become some what hostile at worst, or extremely distant at best, but extremely suspicious and question heavy when they find out somebody is trans?

 

[freaper]

From which social strata do the majority cops originate? What are some of the more prevalent reasons for someone to become a police officer?

 

[Ryan Minns]

My experience with peoples opinion has always been this

"I haven't been dealt any injustice by police so that means ALL those that have are stupid and obviously criminal to dislike them"

"I have been dealt some/a lot injustice by police and I have done nothing wrong so I have an issue"

"Man, I'm so fucking high with my numerous illegal shit I just stole right now! THE COPS ARE CUNTS!"

 

[nepheleim]

Most of the cops I've ever dealt with, when on the wrong side of the law, have only ever given me a verbal warning, detained me on the spot once, but let me go at that. Usually they're pretty polite. Though in my town there is one cop they put on homeless duty all the time and he wears his badge heavy attitude on his sleeve. A real jerk out of a department I've found that's actually pretty nice, reasonable, and very fair.

But I have two questions:
Why do police suddenly become very stiff and sometimes aggressive when they find out a law abiding citizen is legally carrying a concealed weapon, a gun specifically?

Second and this has happened to both me and some friends... Why do police tend to become some what hostile at worst, or extremely distant at best, but extremely suspicious and question heavy when they find out somebody is trans?

If you tell the officer that you have a concealed weapon and license, then you're probably fine. I've asked what position it's holstered in and move on with what I'm doing. Other officers range from "meh, cool" to "omg let's talk about calibers" depending on their mood. If you neglected to mention that, then you're just a guy with a gun. And police, despite wearing vests, don't want to ever get shot. Plus, in some states anyway, neglecting to mention your license and weapon is a violation of the terms of having that license. So they'll assume you're a criminal since you just broke the law anyway.

I haven't seen any officers become hostile towards trans people. I've seen them get mad, though that's because there's a whole new sheaf of paperwork (in my area anyway, as we try to be progressive in a number of respects) to do to ensure that our citizenry isn't harassed on that basis. So, if we seem annoyed, it's not you, it's around two hours of extra paperwork for doing anything more than just speaking with you.

 

[nepheleim]

From which social strata do the majority cops originate? What are some of the more prevalent reasons for someone to become a police officer?

I honestly don't know that first one. Someone somewhere has probably done a statistical analysis of police across the US, or perhaps another nation, but I'm unaware of it. I had the pleasure of working with people who ranged from first generation Americans, folks raised in just about every SES from welfare to one multi millionaire who joined the police force out of sheer boredom in his 50s (side note, he was intense about his work. Once leapt from a moving squad car to tackle a fleeing robbery suspect. In his fifties.) Lawyers who grew weary of their practice have joined up in my department, teachers, social workers, airline pilots, actual aerospace engineers and rocket scientists. It's a pretty diverse bunch.

The running thread seems to be public service having some appeal to each of them, as well as a capacity to endure waves of human misery a dozen times a day before they go home.

 

[shintakie10]

Yeah I'm terrified of cops. Personal story. Growing up we lived next to some people that we were pretty close friends with. The dad of that family was a cop. Real shitbag that guy was. Never outright called people racist names, but always hinted at it. When we'd go over I'd be listenin to some hip hop and he'd talk about how that ghetto music wasn't real music. When I talked about Tupac and how uplifting much of his music could be, he'd use the word thug a lot. Always called black rappers thugs and called Eminem a wannabe thug. (Even when I was only 12 I was easily able to realize that his usage of thug was a thinly veiled attempt to call them niggers).

He'd constantly talk about how racially profiling was a "necessary evil" because casting a wide net meant you'd catch more criminals (my father generally got quite uncomfortable around these discussions, being one of those people who would have been caught in said net). He'd back that up with stories of how many people he'd caught carrying drugs. Always considered every person with even so much as a single joint a drug dealer.

The real kicker was when I was older. He and his wife got a divorce. The reason was never officially stated, but his ex-wife told my parents the truth. He'd beat her and raped her, the former multiple times and the latter once. She was terrified to press charges, what with them being married and he being a cop, but when she eventually did she was literally laughed at. One cop told her it was impossible for a husband to rape his wife. Another cop told her how horrible it was that she was trying to slander a cops good name. Her ex-husbands partner actually threatened her, saying she better hope she doesn't need police assistance anytime soon because it might not make it in time.

Nothing ever came with it. She quietly slinked away somewhere and we never heard from her again. He still currently is a cop, probably just as big of a dick bag as he was before.

Is it fair to judge every cop because of one prick? Absolutely not. However considerin how often I've seen cops outright abuse their authority (not just the prick who rapes his wife and laughs off the accusation) or be completely indifferent to any sort of fucked up situation (watched a cop in my store shrug his shoulders and say the words "Not my problem" when he saw someone outright verbally threatening one of the cashiers) I'm personally not bothered by my lack of objectivity.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Most of the cops I've ever dealt with, when on the wrong side of the law, have only ever given me a verbal warning, detained me on the spot once, but let me go at that. Usually they're pretty polite. Though in my town there is one cop they put on homeless duty all the time and he wears his badge heavy attitude on his sleeve. A real jerk out of a department I've found that's actually pretty nice, reasonable, and very fair.

But I have two questions:
Why do police suddenly become very stiff and sometimes aggressive when they find out a law abiding citizen is legally carrying a concealed weapon, a gun specifically?

Second and this has happened to both me and some friends... Why do police tend to become some what hostile at worst, or extremely distant at best, but extremely suspicious and question heavy when they find out somebody is trans?

If you tell the officer that you have a concealed weapon and license, then you're probably fine. I've asked what position it's holstered in and move on with what I'm doing. Other officers range from "meh, cool" to "omg let's talk about calibers" depending on their mood. If you neglected to mention that, then you're just a guy with a gun. And police, despite wearing vests, don't want to ever get shot. Plus, in some states anyway, neglecting to mention your license and weapon is a violation of the terms of having that license. So they'll assume you're a criminal since you just broke the law anyway.

I haven't seen any officers become hostile towards trans people. I've seen them get mad, though that's because there's a whole new sheaf of paperwork (in my area anyway, as we try to be progressive in a number of respects) to do to ensure that our citizenry isn't harassed on that basis. So, if we seem annoyed, it's not you, it's around two hours of extra paperwork for doing anything more than just speaking with you.

I always let the police know I'm armed if I am. Some do like to talk guns, but a lot are very anxious about armed citizens in my area for some reason. Then again it is Nevada, and a lot of people here are transplants from California, so that might play a role.

Same as above that it might just be my town, but for some reason there is extra suspicion and some disdain against the trans. It might just be that my town does have a problem with prostitution, and for some reason the trans community gets associated with that line of work. It could just be transphobia though too. I just thought you might have a more clear idea.

 

[nepheleim]

I just thought you might have a more clear idea.

I can only speak to my own experience, unfortunately. Police are individuals, after all. And beyond that, there is no unifying body, no national police. Every department is different with different rules and culture. Sorry I couldn't clear that up any more.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

I just thought you might have a more clear idea.

I can only speak to my own experience, unfortunately. Police are individuals, after all. And beyond that, there is no unifying body, no national police. Every department is different with different rules and culture. Sorry I couldn't clear that up any more.

Don't beat your self up about it, I know all police are different. Your insight though does help in some respects. Since not all departments even have to deal with the same type of populace, just based on neighbourhood sometimes, I understand your position.

 

[Amir Kondori]

I've never had a truly bad experience with a cop. I've had a couple encounters with police officers who were unfriendly and had attitudes but I've more encounters with friendly or at least professional cops.

I think cops get a bad rap and every cop bears the brunt of those who abuse their position of power, as we recently saw in the murder of Walter Scott. We need to find better ways to prevent these cases but attacking all cops is just making it worse.

 

[MorphBallBomb]

I will never, ever trust a police officer. Someone who has the power to ruin my life just for pissing them off is not someone I have any intention of being around. I view them like predators. You don't show fear, but you do play dead.

Reading a cop is incredibly important to getting leniency when pulled over for bullshit like a taillight out or something. You can tell by the timbre of their voice whether they want your adulation, awe, or indifference, and it behooves you to learn that skill. If you do your yes, sir no, sirs with the right tone, they won't see you as a threat, they'll see you as appropriately humble. Your goal, when interacting with any officer of the law, is to maintain the most efficient path to minimize the time in which they are aware of your existence. I had a cop try to befriend me once, share some humor via email. I gave him a throwaway account instead of my real one.

Why? Because while he may not have the intent (currently), he definitely has the means. You have to compartmentalize threats appropriately to mitigate personal risk.

If you're not white, hand them a college ID with your driver's license.

That said, I understand the need for officers, and the need to equip agents of the State with a general monopoly on Force. But I can't view them as normal humans because they have more power than normal humans. It would be suicidally dangerous to pretend a cop is just like you or me. Protect yourself.

 

[nepheleim]

I will never, ever trust a police officer. Someone who has the power to ruin my life just for pissing them off is not someone I have any intention of being around. I view them like predators. You don't show fear, but you do play dead.

Reading a cop is incredibly important to getting leniency when pulled over for bullshit like a taillight out or something. You can tell by the timbre of their voice whether they want your adulation, awe, or indifference, and it behooves you to learn that skill. If you do your yes, sir no, sirs with the right tone, they won't see you as a threat, they'll see you as appropriately humble. Your goal, when interacting with any officer of the law, is to maintain the most efficient path to minimize the time in which they are aware of your existence. I had a cop try to befriend me once, share some humor via email. I gave him a throwaway account instead of my real one.

Why? Because while he may not have the intent (currently), he definitely has the means. You have to compartmentalize threats appropriately to mitigate personal risk.

If you're not white, hand them a college ID with your driver's license.

That said, I understand the need for officers, and the need to equip agents of the State with a general monopoly on Force. But I can't view them as normal humans because they have more power than normal humans. It would be suicidally dangerous to pretend a cop is just like you or me. Protect yourself.

It always amazes me how many posts I see like this one. I did the job, and I know that I can't generalize police as a body. How you can is beyond me. It borders on an irrational fear, a phobia. Especially towards the end where you blatantly "other" police to make them non-human.

 

[MorphBallBomb]

Cops are very human, and that's what is so frightening.

It's not a generalization to observe that as members of the executive branch on the ground, you have more power than the citizen does.

It might be a phobia, but it's far from irrational. Most police I have interacted with have made it no secret through their line of questioning and attitude that they were looking for a way to fuck me over, and disappointed that I didn't stutter or do anything else 'suspicious'. I am sympathetic to their plight as having one of the worst jobs ever, but I really don't appreciate them taking it out on others constantly.

Humans by nature are predators. Humans given power in society should be regarded with appropriate caution. I've seen too many friends fucked over because they were driving while black, or got bench warranted and recycled essentially through what are debtor's prisons. A lot of ruined lives over a plant less harmful than alcohol, too. A lot of peaceful protesters maced and tear gassed.

You might be a good cop. You probably did your job, saw it as a privilege to fulfill your duty to the people. If so, that's outstanding. Doesn't mean my walls don't go up when I see a badge.