Stop! Police!

[Benny Blanco]

The police. Necessary in theory, but suspect in reality.

I'm not advocating that we live in a state of anarchy. There is a need for laws to protect individuals and their possessions, and in order for those laws to be meaningful, they need to be enforced.

This is where my problem with the police comes in. They don't do a great job. I've never had any help from any cops in solving any crimes I've reported. Obviously I reported them for insurance reasons, so that the statistics reflect reality, and because I don't have the time to track down the little scrotes responsible. But the only real help the police have been to me is in the form of giving directions.

Let's examine why that is.

Firstly, the intake of the police force: as well as those for whom "helping the community" or "upholding the rule of law" is important there are those who just want to put on a uniform, boss people around and occasionally crack some skulls. Most police officers are not university graduates. I'm not trying to be snobby, I'm stating a fact. Graduates (and ethnic minorities) are treated with some suspicion if they join the police.

The police are not held fully accountable for their actions- I'd like to cite the case of the City of London officer at the G20 protest who killed a passerby (not even a protestor) with a baton strike and has now been put back on duty. Or the innumerable number of cases where police have driven irresponsibly outside an emergency situation and killed pedestrians.

Having said all that, I'm glad the police in the UK are better than the ones I've seen in most of the other countries I've been to (with the possible exception of the Dutch).

 

[zhoominator]

It depends where you are. In the village in which I used to live, the local police officers were dead nice. Everybody knew them and everybody respected them because they showed consideration towards everyone.

Now I live in the middle of a larger town and the police aren't nearly as friendly, even to the little old ladies who live in houses just down the road. I respect what they do but I'm not sure if I actually respect them, since I don't actually know any of them.

An example, I read in the local paper that a policeman in our town got his ear bitten off. The reaction was "ouch, that's a horrible thing to do" and that was pretty much it. We heard a few years before that someone threw a rock at our local cop in the village I used to say and there was anger from loads of people eager to find the culprit.

 

[MKScorpion]

Seriously though, I respect the police for all the work they do. It just seems ridiculous that people get out of hand when in their presence for some odd reason.

 

[Wadders]

A dipshit asshole with a badge is still a dipshit asshole. They seem to think they exist on a higher tier of society than everyone else. The fake-respectful way they speak pisses me off too. They never do anything good either, they're just looking for trouble. Or failing that, start some trouble. I hate them.

Never been arrested. I know how to talk my way around them.

Sweeping generalization is sweeping.

I think police definitely deserve respect, they deal with a lot of crap but get little respect from a lot of people. The kind of people who are willing to slag them off, but might be forced to eat their words one day. One of my friend's mum is a police woman, and the amount of work she has to do even as a regular bobby, is staggering. So yeah, they have my respect overall.

I believe in the old saying: If you've done nothing wrong, you've nothing to fear.

Not to say there are not bad eggs though, people who only join to beat drunk people up or that kinda stuff. Think there was an officer over here in England who posted on his Facebook "cant wait to go beat some hippies today" before he went to work when the G20 was on in London. Officers like them are obviously not deserving of respect.

And to people saying they hate their police force, I bet the cops in your country, are on a whole, a damn site better than the ones in any given shithole of an African/ Middle eastern country. So just be thankful for that eh?

 

[bruunwald]

Do not ever think that the law and the system work well, because they dont and they never will. Instruments of this dictated code are just as guilty of what the flaws in the law and system are.

This reasoning is flawed in so many ways.

Firstly, define "well." "Well" would indicate functioning reasonably, which I think most justice systems in most civilized Western countries do, if not in a bureaucratic, day-to-day paperwork sense, then at least in the sense of outcome. Yes, there are high profile examples of foul ups and there are laws that would seem not to make any sense. But then, any system devised by human beings is going to contain flaws, whether it be justice, religion, or how your favorite software developer stages its management teams. Crazy people abound everywhere and they screw with everything with which they come into contact. This does not justify a generalization that justice never works well.

As to individual "instruments" of the supposedly completely flawed system, human beings are thinking, reasoning and emotional creatures and do not cease being so to become mindless automatons just because they put on a badge. There are as many reasons for becoming a cop as there are cops, and while some people definitely become tools of the system, if you knew any cops you would know each has his own style, his own approach, and his own notion of what actions are necessary in which situations.

It's ridiculous to generalize when it come to human beings. I suspect doing so is simply a way to aggrandize one's own sense of self-importance by labeling others.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

From an international perspective - there are bad cops out there.

 

[Mekado]

I have no problem with cops.

A few days ago i got hungry at 3am and the only thing open anywhere close is a convenience store 25 minutes on foot.Decided to go, wearing "comfortable" clothing (loose pants and a jonny blaze sweatshirt) and the police stopped to talk to me on the way.Now keep in mind i live in a small-ish city (+/-110k people) and it's pretty much dead after midnight except on weekends.Went like this ;

"Good evening sir, mind if i ask where you're going?"
"nah i'm going to get some food around the corner"
"ah ok, could i get your name please?"
"** **"
checks his computer for a minute
"alright, have a good evening"

Now i have absolutely no problem with that, they were respectful and honestly i like that the cops checks what someone "strangely" dressed is doing out at 3am, makes me feel they are actively "watching" the city.

I've yet to see a power-abusing or a "bad" cop here, it might be more frequent in big cities i guess...

 

[runnernda]

I've never been arrested, but my brothers have. They have a negative view of the police because they say that they can be a little unfair or harsher than the situation warrants. My brothers are kind of morons, though, and they get arrested for the same things over and over.

I have been stopped by the police, though. On Homecoming weekend my senior year of college, I was walking down to the convenience store around 9:00 PM. I had been drinking, but I was by no means drunk. I had an ankle injury, also, so I had a walking boot on my right leg, which added a couple of inches to the bottom of my leg. Anyway, I walked past his car and he got out. The following conversation went like this.

Cop: Good evening, miss. Have you been drinking tonight?
Me: Yup!
Cop: Could I see your ID please?
I pulled out my wallet and showed him that I was indeed 21.
Cop: I couldn't help but notice that you're walking a little unsteady.
Me: Well yeah, I have this boot on, see? It makes this leg a little taller, so I sway when I walk.

The cop then proceeded to give me a full field sobriety test. Touching my nose, alphabet backwards, walking the straight line, all of that. I went to college in a tiny little town, so he was probably bored, but seriously?

In general, though, I like the police. I like feeling safe.

 

[Kagim]

Because people have incredibly unfair expectations mixed with movie interpretations.

People seem to expect cops to be kind compassionate caring people while at the same time utter and complete robots depending on which is more convenient to the person bitching at the time.

Worse off, you hear of a news story where X cop did something stupid, horrible or corrupt.

Which leads to people screaming cops are corrupt.

Despite the thousands of incidents where cops help people that don't get reported.

I mean. Who wants to hear a story about how the police stopped a burglary when you can report about how a cop tazered someone unlawfully. Which news story do you think can be milked for the longest period of time?

A cop can save a thousand lives and still be spat on because of another cops foul deeds a million miles away.

And that's kinda horrible.

There will always be bad cops, but its easier for people to say they all are bad due to the actions of few then to form opinions of people on an individual basis.

People call them 'tools' because its far easier to create an enemy out of a souless machine then a thinking feeling person.

As for my own interactions with cops they have all been good. I remember one night in about grade 9 me and like six of my friends were walking around at about 12-1 at night on our way to a 7-11 for slushies when a cop pulled over, and asked Us if we had seen any suspicious teenagers that had been causing problems.

He wasn't being sarcastic, as a large group of teens were vandalizing house in the area that night. Despite the fact none of us were exactly dressed like upstanding citizens(we were teens forgive us) It always made me smile to know the cops in my town could tell the good kids from the bad ones.

 

[no oneder]

Funny you ask, a security guard shouted at me like a week ago. I failed the metal detector, so he came back with one of those handheld metal detectors, and my belt beeped. I looked down to see what had beeped, and the guy told me to keep my head up. I responded with my normal voice: "Sir, do not raise your voice"

Sir? So your not really a girl?!

One time I was crossing the street and the officer yelled at me for standing too close to the road. I was actually off the curb and standing on the road itself but not so close to be in any danger so when I started to cross the officer stopped for me then asserted his authority and instead of arguing with him I let him have his authoritah and apologized.

No, that's what I said: Sir, do not raise your voice. That came fro my mouth. Talking? Are you familiar with that? It's when you say something.

 

[FC Groningen]

People in the UK respect the Police more then people in the UK think. It's just the media portrays them so badly. I respect the police massivley, but the legal system let's them down sometimes, which can be a problem. The people that dislike the police are the idiots who actually have no idea of the job the police actually have to do or what can be done. I think the UK force is very good and professional as they can do things most the of the time without the use of guns.

The British public have a great way of being negative about everything good.

Internationally, the British policeforce has a rather good name actually. I wonder what the media would like to ***** about then.

 

[Les Awesome]

ever see the movie la heine .....................


EDIT 100th post wwwwwwoooooohhhhh =D

 

[Odoylerules360]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=relatedyou cant blame the police for stuff that happens when you break the law....

WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU LOSERS!!!

cops are not bad... real life is not a movie and generally if your nice to a cop and dont fuck him round he will go out of his way to help you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=related
check at 1:20
Oscar Grant the third.

Wake the fuck up indeed.

 

[FC Groningen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=relatedyou cant blame the police for stuff that happens when you break the law....

WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU LOSERS!!!

cops are not bad... real life is not a movie and generally if your nice to a cop and dont fuck him round he will go out of his way to help you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=related
check at 1:20
Oscar Grant the third.

Wake the fuck up indeed.

Individual cases =/= the entire police force

 

[Aerodyamic]

I rarely have problems with 'Johnny Law', but that's generally because I try to ensure he's pointed at someone other than me.

Mind you, I was once arrested (for petty shoplifting), and the cop apparently found out where my parents lived, mentioned it to them, and they got a lawyer that ended up keeping it off my adult record. It's kind of nice, looking back, since I can freely travel abroad, and I'm not barred from government or DoD jobsites.

Overall, I have a fairly positive view of law enforcement personnel; security guards and rent-a-cops, on the other hand.... are generally assholes that can't qualify for police academy.

 

[Mekado]

ever see the movie la heine .....................


EDIT 100th post wwwwwwoooooohhhhh =D

I did, it's an excellent movie.

Although to be fair, to police one of the roughest ghettos/inner city in the world you can't really be all sunshine and flowers, it dosen't excuse the shooting at the end or the brutality but my point is not every cop is a "policing-the-ghetto-wondering-when-someone-will-take-a-crack-at-you" cop.

Btw this is the same neighborhood that had week-long riots a few years back when two teenagers rammed their motorbike in a police car and died, the people living there blamed the cops and turned the city upside down for many days.Keep in mind another Paris "cité" (pretty much ghettos circling Paris) rioted for weeks just 2 years before that, because 2 teens died electrocuted while fleeing from a police patrol to avoid answering questions.These places are powderkegs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_civil_unrest_in_Villiers-le-Bel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_civil_unrest_in_France

La Haine shows the worst of the worst, it isn't like that everywhere, far from it.

Edit : For comparison's sake, try pointing a gun at a cop in the USA and see if you escape unscathed

 

[Odoylerules360]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=related
check at 1:20
Oscar Grant the third.

Wake the fuck up indeed.

Individual cases =/= the entire police force

Some != All,
Thank you captain obvious, but there are hundreds of these a year that involve shooting alone, many more if you include other forms of excessive police brutality.

The point was that the statement "cant blame the police for stuff that happens when you break the law...." is Bullshit.

 

[Riobux]

I was watching one of these generic police shows last night when I noticed a lot of people shown acted very negatively or even violently toward the police and the camera crew even if they were not the ones being arrested. Made me wonder why the police revieve so much hate from some people for just doing their jobs.

Well, I once got yelled in an aggressive manner by police for cycling on the pavement, telling me I could hit an elderly person which completely ignores the idea that I'm a safe and careful cyclist. They did this just after I locked my bike up outside the day centre for old people I work for voluntarily. The only thing I could really see why they were annoyed about was how I somewhat ignored them after a cop leaned out of the window of their Jeep and yelled at me to walk. They also accused me of being cheeky by crossing the road to the pavement opposing traffic when the train gates were down so I wouldn't have to cross the busy road shortly down the road.

Anyway, when I went inside, the main manager of the day centre and other workers were peering out of the window wondering why there was a police Jeep pulled outside. After I explained truthfully that it was me and they were having a go at me for cycling on the pavement, most of them didn't really care. One of the workers did say that they obviously had nothing else better to do.

It's really things like this which I think decrease the respect of police. Sure, it was delinquency but it's nothing to chase a cyclist and aggressively talk to them (they actually did talk aggressively, for example, if I even tried to give a reason why I did it in a calm voice, they got very annoyed) about. Maybe if I looked like someone who caused trouble often, but I wear dark clothing and I look at least 18. It's hard to confuse me with someone who is part of the chav sub-culture, even from a distance.

I have to appreciate the irony though. About being pulled up outside the day centre for the elderly for riding on the pavement, which they stated I could of knocked down a member of the elderly. Meanwhile, in sociology at the time, I was learning about crime and deviance.

 

[basic.acid]

i've worked with a couple of cops and i have to agree that they are a mixed bag
some are nice hardworking guys, some are lazy bastards
some are anal ass-wholes who will breath down your neck 'cause they don't like your face
and some give me free beer

guess which kind i like?

 

[Cosplay Horatio]

Funny you ask, a security guard shouted at me like a week ago. I failed the metal detector, so he came back with one of those handheld metal detectors, and my belt beeped. I looked down to see what had beeped, and the guy told me to keep my head up. I responded with my normal voice: "Sir, do not raise your voice"

Sir? So your not really a girl?!

One time I was crossing the street and the officer yelled at me for standing too close to the road. I was actually off the curb and standing on the road itself but not so close to be in any danger so when I started to cross the officer stopped for me then asserted his authority and instead of arguing with him I let him have his authoritah and apologized.

No, that's what I said: Sir, do not raise your voice. That came fro my mouth. Talking? Are you familiar with that? It's when you say something.

You mean the officer said that to you right?