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

[kyp275]

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.

"Is it fair to judge every black/(insert ethnicity or religion) people because of one prick? Absolutely not. However, considering how often I've seen them commit crimes or (insert things you don't like) acts like an asshole, I'm personally not bothered by my lack of objectivity."


Bigotry is bigotry, doesn't really matter what kind of window dressing you put on.

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.

Were you afraid of your parents when you were a kid?

Are you afraid of your boss?

Are you afraid everyone who's richer than you?

Are you afraid of people who are stronger than you?

It's not "might" be a phobia for you, that ship seems to have sailed long ago.

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'.

How many have you interacted with?

How many are there in the country?

What's the percentage of police officers in the country that you have interacted with? Because that's how much your anecdote is worth.

None of my interactions with police have ever been anything but polite, doesn't mean I can use that to make a blanket statement that all police officers are good.

Well, I could, but then I'd be on the same(non-existent) ground as you.

 

[MorphBallBomb]

Okay, so I'm cop phobic. I'll admit that. The plural of anecdote is not data.

And yes, I see the majority of humans as potential threats. That could be called paranoia.

I'm still not wrong for thinking the guy with the authority to legally dispense death, injury, theft and property destruction* should be considered 'elevated risk' rather than 'regular risk'.

*see, civil asset forfeiture and protocol on house raids (oops they got the wrong house, oops we're not paying for the damage, yes this happened to me).

 

[barbzilla]

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'

I'll toss in on this as a former FDLE officer, resigned in good standing. That will cover Florida law as well as whichever state you represent.

I think people have the wrong idea about cops, primarily because of negative media coverage. Most cops get into the business to help people, granted there are a few who did it because they like power, the majority go the other way.

Another thing to think about, when you are being pulled over for going 7 miles an hour over the speed limit in a 70mph zone, and the cop decides to ticket you. It isn't that he/she is being a dick, they may have just come back from having to bag body parts at an accident involving someone going 60mph, and now they see you ignoring the safety limits. Trust me, nobody should ever have to clean up after an accident, it isn't fun and it isn't pretty.

 

[barbzilla]

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.

Cops in general are plagued with the same issues the rest of humanity may be. So I wouldn't put it past some cops being anti-trans in your area. I know there are some where I worked, but the rest of us would usually try to coach them towards acceptance (or some of them would rag of the cop in general about being homophobic due to latent sexual desires, but this got quashed in my department pretty quick).

I really don't want to give the misconception that all cops are great people, but most of the ones I worked with were. They could be real pricks sometimes, but if they were it was usually because they just came back from having to clean up a mess involving whatever they were currently talking to you about. The bad ones (in my dept) got weeded out quickly and sent elsewhere (or they ended up working away from the public), and the great ones typically didn't last more than a few years. The good ones, they were usually the ones who made it to promotion and career officers.

However it is always going to be dependent on your local dept.

 

[JCAll]

Most police I've met have been decent guys. Some of my school chums went on to be police. I've only met one asshole cop, and the worst he did was laugh in my face for falling into an obvious speed trap. I'll never actually go the the police though. One time my mom ended up put in a cell for REPORTING a crime. A crime they refused to investigate of course. And if anyone tries to get the police held accountable, they simply permanently refuse you service. That zero accountability is why people don't trust the police.

 

[sageoftruth]

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?

Not any that I know of, but I'm not a cop.

 

[sageoftruth]

Looks like cops have a lot of crap to deal with. My question is, what can be done to prevent the behavior that comes afterwards?

Should we make police work part-time, so they can have some exposure to the less crappy part of the world in their schedule? Should therapy be part of the officers' daily routine? Like lots of problems people are up in arms about, we need to start talking about solutions.

Another thing is, does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with the existing corruption? Relations between citizens and cops won't get any better if we continued to have the justified belief that they can easily get away with murder.

Psychological counseling is usually offered by areas that can afford it. Confidentially even. But I know from experience that most police will not get that help, for a variety of reasons. They don't want to seem weak, etc.

There really shouldn't be a justified belief that police can get away with murder (as defined by most penal codes). The vast majority of justified shootings are exactly that, justified, and a small element will scream thunder in an effort to convince people it isn't so. A lot of it can be blamed on ignorance of what goes into a force on force confrontation, which frankly shouldn't be something that people become familiar with anyway.

I understand that there are shootings which are justified, but my faith in their honesty about the situation has been shaken after a recent incident where an officer shot a man, claiming that they were wrestling on the ground for his taser and that he shot in self defense. The case would have ended there, when an anonymous onlooker presented a photo he had discreetly taken of the man being shot as he ran away.

I'm willing to believe that the man may have tried to fight the officer before running away, which was a plain stupid thing for him to do, but I don't like how such a necessary element of the trial was conveniently left out, leaving it to the public to provide the actual justice. Perhaps the officer alone is to blame for leaving it out in his report.

If anything, I'm definitely in support of the inclusion of cameras so we can finally see everything for what it really is, cutting down on both dishonest reports and sensationalism from people trying to paint it as one-sided murder.

 

[Bat Vader]

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.

Do you have proof that all the other cops protect them? Doing a quick Google search I found a couple different stories of cops testifying against other cops. You can't really generalize that all other cops protect them when it seems that they don't.

Spoiler

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/drew-ryser-houston-teen-beating-trial_n_3395731.html

Spoiler

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/12/2_new_orleans_cops_testify_aga.html

 

[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.

Do you have proof that all the other cops protect them? Doing a quick Google search I found a couple different stories of cops testifying against other cops. You can't really generalize that all other cops protect them when it seems that they don't.

Spoiler

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/drew-ryser-houston-teen-beating-trial_n_3395731.html

Spoiler

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/12/2_new_orleans_cops_testify_aga.html

You're just repeating the same "not all of them are like that" shit.

 

[Thaluikhain]

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.

"Is it fair to judge every black/(insert ethnicity or religion) people because of one prick? Absolutely not. However, considering how often I've seen them commit crimes or (insert things you don't like) acts like an asshole, I'm personally not bothered by my lack of objectivity."

People aren't born police. It is an institution that they choose to join and remain part of.

Whether or not the police as a whole are bad, judging someone for their choices is not remotely the same as judging them for the circumstances of their parentage.

 

[Lil_Rimmy]

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.

Do you have proof that all the other cops protect them? Doing a quick Google search I found a couple different stories of cops testifying against other cops. You can't really generalize that all other cops protect them when it seems that they don't.

Spoiler

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/drew-ryser-houston-teen-beating-trial_n_3395731.html

Spoiler

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/12/2_new_orleans_cops_testify_aga.html

You're just repeating the same "not all of them are like that" shit.

Maybe it's because...

HOLD ON EVERYONE...

THIS SHIT'S GONNA GET CRAZY...

NOT ALL OF THEM ARE LIKE THAT.

OT:

I have to say, some of these responses legitimately scare me, but I can both not understand and also understand why some people think like they do. I live in Australia. The roughest cops you will find will be the ones that are trying to scare you out of drinking as a kid, or if you try and run from them. Mainly because no one likes having to sprint after some asshole after a car chase.

However, in America, the situation is hugely different. Everyone that police officer approaches could be packing weaponry, where as in Australia the average person might have a rather stiff thong if they are lucky. That means that naturally police are going to be more defensive or aggressive, and defiantly more fearful. Because all it takes is one person thinking the cops are after them when in fact it's just a normal speeding offence, and shit goes down.

It's the fact that every month or so we hear of yet another school shooting or siege in America that makes me understand why they would be naturally more scary than the average cop from any other country (apart from warzones/3rd world etc. etc.)

However the levels of paranoia some people seem to go to is crazy high. I mean, I can get being fearful if you live in a bad area with cops that are jumpy. And I can get why people would be afraid of the badge, what with the media decrying the police as the devil's angels every five seconds. Because while 100,000 police officers might be perfectly okay, functioning human beings who do their jobs to the letter and are glad they can help the public by serving and protecting, there's one that thinks it's either a great idea to shoot that fleeing person, that thinks they can abuse their power or just plain fucks up for everyone to turn on and hate the people who will get themselves shot and killed to protect the ones calling "Fuck the police".

It's a shitty world we live in sometimes, when people think that the cops are any different from the average person. As though putting the badge on instantly removes all humanity and they aren't affected by the grim shit they have to see, deal with, and more often than not, clean up.

 

[SecondPrize]

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'

Why do you guys all assume that everyone is guilty of something and then get all upset when some of us assume you're all crooked?

 

[The Only Gay Eskimo]

Maybe it's because...

HOLD ON EVERYONE...

THIS SHIT'S GONNA GET CRAZY...

NOT ALL OF THEM ARE LIKE THAT.

There isn't a single thing you could say about any group where all members of that group are like that. That doesn't mean that there isn't a strong tendency. Pointing out that "not all of them are like that" is meaningless. Not all women like and collect shoes, is it unfair to say that women like and collect shoes?

Let's be real here. A lot of cops get away with a lot of shit. They get protected by other cops. A few honest cops here and there don't change that most of them "are like that".

And even the ones that supposedly "aren't like that", I don't see them changing the system.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Maybe it's because...

HOLD ON EVERYONE...

THIS SHIT'S GONNA GET CRAZY...

NOT ALL OF THEM ARE LIKE THAT.

There isn't a single thing you could say about any group where all members of that group are like that. That doesn't mean that there isn't a strong tendency. Pointing out that "not all of them are like that" is meaningless. Not all women like and collect shoes, is it unfair to say that women like and collect shoes?

Let's be real here. A lot of cops get away with a lot of shit. They get protected by other cops. A few honest cops here and there don't change that most of them "are like that".

And even the ones that supposedly "aren't like that", I don't see them changing the system.

Most police officers are good people, people who do the right thing, and people who will speak out against an injustice. Most police officers don't do things like shoot unarmed people for no good reason, most police shootings are actually justified. Also it is unfair to say most women like to collect shoes. Many women are fashion conscious, which means having the right shoes for the right outfit, but so are lots of men. Wearing white sneakers with a suit might be fashionable, but it's really an insult to the suit, and usually clashes. Most professional men have the right shoes for the right suit, and that doesn't mean they collect shoes.

Now lets be real. Most cops are good upstanding people, but the blue wall of silence exists for a reason. This is because like most people who work together cops give each other the benefit of the doubt. Hell even when a cop uses justifiable force, even when it's not lethal, you're not gonna get much out of other cops. Why? Because the legal system is a bloated mess that is out to make money, that means that a lot of police officers get screwed over, mostly when they did absolutely nothing wrong. This also means that an officer that screws up is going to get protected, because her/his coworkers will give him the benefit of the doubt. It also gets extended to officers who do things blatantly wrong in some cases. But in most cases if an officer intentionally does something wrong the whole department will turn on them.

While it's less damaging in other sectors, except maybe the military, all professions have this going on. How many contractors will cover for one that honestly screwed up? Most of them. The extension of this that contractors who cheat people also get the same protection. Same story as with the police, the get covered by their buddies. The exception being that one contractor will trash another to get work, police don't have that competition.

Now police work can be a life and death job, so there is an extra protective mentality, and the benefit of the doubt is even stronger for them. This is because it's often enough that police officers have to put their lives on the line. Now if an officer goes around violating a trust built on an organization where you have to keep each other alive... Most police she/he works with will feel like that the officer who talked can't be trusted. You can't work in a job where life and death decisions are potentially a daily occurrence when no one trusts you.

So before you go taking shots at the police you need to look at what they deal with, and what support they absolutely need. You wanna fix the police? Start with society and stop the glorification of crime and criminals.

 

[Ragnoon]

I am a motoring enthusiast, I particularly enjoy riding my motorbike. Here in Australia, like many places in the world, bikers are normally classified as criminals and should be treated like one regardless of what their actually intention is(I can't speak for everyone). I have been pulled over so many time from the police with them saying I am a danger to other road users ( I am responsible on public roads) or my bike has illegal mods and is un-roadworthy (which it's not).

My experience hasn't been great, doesn't mean that all police are bad, but I unfortunately don't have respect for people who can't treat me with some common courtesy, that applies for all people I meet. Then again who is going to police the police for such behaviour?.

 

[nepheleim]

Why do you guys all assume that everyone is guilty of something and then get all upset when some of us assume you're all crooked?

You're arguing from a flawed base. If all police believed that everyone was guilty of something, we'd never make it more than a block from the substation, since we'd be stopping everybody on that basis.

Since police don't shake down every person not in their own homes, I can confidently assert that all police do not assume that everyone is guilty of something.

The other option is that everyone is guilty of something, and given how long the US Codes have gotten, it's possible. But local police do not enforce those ordinances, so it's a moot point.

Police get annoyed with people because (read the blog post in Original Post) and because it informs us that the person we're going to have to deal with now is coming from a position of defiant ignorance, and this typically makes for an antagonistic encounter. Nobody wishes for simple peaceful encounters more than the police, since they have to encounter people dozens of times per shift, whereas you may encounter police a handful of times total.

 

[Reasonable Atheist]

I am not going to softball this one in, Do more black people get pulled over/arrested/searched because they are more often breaking the law?

 

[nepheleim]

I am a motoring enthusiast, I particularly enjoy riding my motorbike. Here in Australia, like many places in the world, bikers are normally classified as criminals and should be treated like one regardless of what their actually intention is(I can't speak for everyone). I have been pulled over so many time from the police with them saying I am a danger to other road users ( I am responsible on public roads) or my bike has illegal mods and is un-roadworthy (which it's not).

My experience hasn't been great, doesn't mean that all police are bad, but I unfortunately don't have respect for people who can't treat me with some common courtesy, that applies for all people I meet. Then again who is going to police the police for such behaviour?.

My response is going to have a few assumptions, as I'm not familiar with Australian policing. 1.) The IA division of your local police (see, I'm assuming police aren't nationalized). 2.) The community.

If police are not doing their job effectively, whether through harassment or ignorance of transportation laws, that needs reporting so the officer can be made to learn what they're ignorant of, or fired for being bad at their job.

 

[sumanoskae]

It is not my opinion that "All cops are assholes", it's my opinion that the system that employs them is demonstrably destructive and corrupt. This is the same logic that people use to fight gun laws; most of the people who own guns are not killers.

But here's the thing, it only takes one nutcase with an automatic weapon to commit a massacre.

And it only takes one jack booted thug with a badge to end an innocent life.

What any given police officer DOES get away with is nowhere nearly as important as what a police officer COULD get away with.

If you're going to give people weapons and a status that sometimes approaches diplomatic immunity, you're goddamn right that those people should be held to a higher standard than your average citizen. If you aren't ready to have your conduct scrutinized to hell and back, then the power that comes with law enforcement should not be in your hands; power should always come with equal responsibility.

It doesn't matter if 90% cops have good intentions if the other 10% can shoot down innocent people like dogs and get away with it, because it clearly illustrates that the system that is supposed to keep those 10% in check is either nonexistent or not functioning.

And in case anyone asks, no, I will not accept incompetence or accidents as justifiable excuses for civilian fatality. If you agree under oath to serve and protect people, and prove that you're incapable of doing so, it doesn't matter weather you WANT to help people; your incompetence can get people killed. You would never allow untrained or poorly trained individuals to perform the duty of a surgeon, or a fire fighter. The same standard should apply to law enforcement.

Every system has faults, but there's a reason people like doctors have to go through such rigorous training. If the system you're working with has lives resting on it's back, then you better be damn sure you TRY to make it perfect, regardless of weather or not you succeed.

The people who enforce the law should be just as subject to it as anyone else.

So I guess my question is: Why is anyone surprised that so many people have a negative opinion of police?

 

[nepheleim]

I am not going to softball this one in, Do more black people get pulled over/arrested/searched because they are more often breaking the law?

This is a tricky question, because police aren't one body in the US. So I had to go find the closest thing we have to central statistics, which is the Bureau of Justice Statistics to find out traffic, arrest, and search rates by race. For traffic, we see that White, Black, and Hispanic people are pulled over at almost the same rate (+- .5%), so no black people don't get pulled over more.

I turned to the FBI page for the arrest statistics, as I didn't feel like updating Excel to read the BJS report. They note (in 2012) that 68% of arrestees were white and 28% were black. So I can't say that black people get arrested more either.

As for searches, the data doesn't seem to be complete. I was only able to find instances where a search was conducted after a traffic stop, which will omit other instances of search (incident to arrest, pedestrian stop, etc). In this instance, black people were almost three times as likely (12% vs 4%) to be searched after a traffic stop than white people. (Note that these figures are seven years old 2008).

Since we found only one of your questions to have higher black participation rates (searches incident to traffic stops), we can look at why. It's less likely that black people are searched more because they break the law more often (because if you're being stopped, you've either already broken a law or your vehicle matches some suspect vehicle description) but rather because the officer involved has some rationale to legally justify a search. The reason the officer has to be able to describe and articulate a justifiable reason to search is because illegally searching someone can get you hit with official oppression charges, and perhaps other federal charges.