Why Do So Many People Hate the Police?

[Geekmaster]

People generalize and cops are normal human beings like everyone else. That means that one bad cop makes you're average Joe (not very smart, even if intelligent)assume that all cops are hypocritical bastards.

Oh and they're the face of authority which again makes average Joe (still not smart even if clever) dislike their potential intrusion on Joe's freedom.

This goes for people who stay on the right side of the law and only gets worse the shadier you are.

Bottom line: You're average Joe is quite often a hypocritical and narrowminded prick, regardless of level of education and intellectual potenial.

Edit: That also goes for cops ofc.

 

[Aur0ra145]

In my town, which is an extreme case, the police regularly abuse their power and are generally unkind and fuckheads to our citizens. I can't tell you how many times we as a city have tried to get the police chief fired, and how many people have signed petitions against certain officers so they can be removed from the force.

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

The common depictions of police within media forms are that of police officers taking advantage of their authority. The cocky cop, the overzealous sheriff, and the legalistic state patrolman all come to mind. This is, in part, because these images are much more memorable than a family man, putting his life in danger to feed his kids.

I believe, therefore, that people distrust the police.

People dislike, inherently, that which they do not trust.

 

[Pop_Tarts]

Whenever you encounter the police you are normally in a situation you do not want to be in. Thus you associate them with bad memories/situations.

 

[siebje]

I don't hate the police in general. I just genuinely dislike the police on the street. They are (exceptions excluded) mindless drones upholding rules that are situational at best. But these numbskulls can't think for themselves.

Example:
Good cop: Fining people for riding a bike on the boulevard when it's sunny and crowded (although still quite harsh).
Evil cop: Fining people for doing the same at 2 AM when there is nobody around.

Want another? Okay:
Good cop: Taking someones drivers license for a DUI.
Evil cop: Taking someones drivers license for a DUI on a bike (sounds strange but believe me, it happens)

 

[Kollega]

Possibly poor recollection on my part. It was prolly more along the lines that policemen bribed their way into certain departments, like the traffic department (where the oppurtunity to make up fines on the spot and get away with pocketing them is good).

Oh yes, someone might have indeed bribed their way into road police, as they are especially infamous for their corruption levels.

Well, I don't know russian. What's the difference? Something along the lines of "cops" vs "pigs"?

Yes, sort of like that. "Musor" means "trash" in a direct translation. Not that i have too high of an opinion regarding our police, but i prefer to keep my cultural standards higher than using bandit slang.

 

[LightspeedJack]

Because a lot of cops abuse their power and are intrusive, full of themselves and rude. Of course not all are like that.

 

[Tadd]

I reeeeaaaally hate to stereotype; but most of the posters on here who claim to be "wrongfully arrested" and/or "held at gunpoint" are most likely clad in hoodies and dwell upon street corners in small groups. When the police come to ask questions, they get defensive or spit out other cliches you often witness in film. Stick it to the man! *Yawn*

If you want to see law enforcement f**ked up, come over here to China. I dare you.

 

[12capital]

My problem is that you have cops going around making people's lives hell for parking or some other rather innocent things. when they could be out preventing robberies and murders.

 

[mikespoff]

Same reason that teenage brats hate their parents.

"You're making me act all civilised when all I want to do is be a total idiot and break stuff and mess everything up. I hate you!"

Pretty much this. Generally, I respect the police. They have a tough job, and they don't need me or other people making it harder for them. A lot fewer people would get in trouble with the police if they didn't mess them about too.

Yup - it's not a job I could stand doing, but I respect its necessity and I'm grateful they're willing to do it.

 

[hecticpicnic]

1 because prejudice is a tool of them, 2 because the law system is shit and has to be strict(police the person persicuting you is the easiest person to blame)
3 because if you know some one in the law system e.g an officer/a judge/somebody in charge of the people who give out tickets so they can get rid of fines for you,you can get away with more than others

 

[CouchCommando]

Having traveled a bit and seen how officious some law enforcement can be I returned home with new found respect for the police from my country, they speak and act for the most part in a courteous polite professional manner. And at times and and in certain areas it can a be a hard thankless task, hooray for Aussie Police, erm actually make that NSW and QLD police haven't really had to deal with any other state police .....yet.
Main thing I have noticed is that the older people around me get, appreciation for law enforcement and keeping the peace goes up. I remember when I was a youth about 90 % of my associates loathed law enforcement of any kind.

 

[Red Albatross]

The police here in the Soviet States of Amerika are less concerned with justice and more concerned with obtaining funding for their precincts, and their methods show it. Arresting and fining people for sleeping off alcohol in their cars, ticketing people giving drunks free rides home...DUIs are a money spinner, can't have stuff like that happening.

What's that, you've got a taillight out? That's a ticket. You were probably speeding, too. Meanwhile, hobos snort cocaine off the sidewalk and cops drive right by.

Don't like it? That's a tasing. Enjoy your fine and your 50,000 volts.

There are cops who don't do this stuff, and I applaud them. But most of the boys in blue are just criminals in uniform.

 

[Marowit]

I loathe police. For the most part, at least here in VT, they are barely high school educated pricks, who have a chip on their shoulder, went to police academy because they couldn't do anything else (aside from joining the armed forces), and take our their frustrations with themselves on you.

I have not had one single 'good' interaction with a police officer, even though I do all of the things you're suppose to do (say sir/ma'am, don't do things until asked, etc... all the things my sister-in-law who's a cop says helps make their job easier). I had one prick give me a $250 dollar tick for apparently not making a full stop at a stop sign - he was able to make that call from 100 yards away at night at the bottom of a hill while I was at the top (it was brewers fest that weekend and so I am positive he was hoping he'd nab a DUI). I had another prick give me a $50 ticket for pulling into a handicap spot so my girlfriend could hop out of the car - mind you it would have taken no longer than 30s for her to give me a kiss and pop out. Instead he blocked me in and made it a 10min ordeal.

Not to mention the countless misuses power that happen all the farkin' time around the country that break my trust. So, that's why I hate the police. Sure they may be great people outside of work, but with that uniform on they're terrible people in my eyes.

 

[Malyc]

1 because prejudice is a tool of them, 2 because the law system is shit and has to be strict(police the person persicuting you is the easiest person to blame)
3 because if you know some one in the law system e.g an officer/a judge/somebody in charge of the people who give out tickets so they can get rid of fines for you,you can get away with more than others

#3 is illegal and could likely get said person serious jail time if they accepted, and you jail time if they didnt.

OT: Police have one of the toughest jobs on the planet, along with one of the highest suicide rates in any profession. I'd say they deserve our support, even if we happen to be on the recieving side of a citation or something like that. Although, i would like their response times to be a bit better in emergencies.
"When seconds count, police are only minutes away"

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

Heck my neighbours are police and RCMP and their quite fun to hang around with.
They are just the people who keep the peace and protect us from people who seek the opposite.

 

[floppylobster]

What is it about cops that gets so many people's panties in a bunch? If someone is willing to risk their life everyday to keep me safe, then I'm going to damn well support them, but I seem to be in a shrinking minority, especially with people in my age group and younger (20-30 and under).

Please enlighten me on why you believe (or don' believe) that cops deserve our support.

Because they are just people like you or me and they make mistakes and have agendas too. But mainly for what they can be seen to represent.

I don't hate them but they are just tools carrying out the rules of society. Rules I don't entirely agree with even though by default I am living in society. In the old days you had a choice to move on if you didn't like the rules. But these days there's no where left to move to that doesn't already have rules and cops to enforce them. So they can be seen, perhaps unfairly, as a symbol of the constraints we have to put up with by 'agreeing' to live within society.

Dealing with more personal experience - Yes they may save your life but they'll also fine you for speeding when you were hardly going over the limit and it was on a hill where you'd have to break to keep within the (unrealistic) limit. So they can be annoying. You can also call them when you're being robbed only to have them show up late, do nothing and never follow up on it. So you start to wonder what's the point. But the point is they keep us in line. So we need them.

I don't live in the US BTW.

 

[Autofaux]

People here don't like police because it usually starts with "fucking pigs broooo, pulled me over and breathalysed me. They said I was over the limit, but I'd only had two drinks; two scotches with coke. What the fuck? It was only my second offence and they took my lowered Subaru. Fuckin' pigs!".

And maybe, juuuuust maybe, my wish will come true and the government will allow the Police to draw their weapon after being assaulted. It is ridiculous how people can get away with beating up police here. And the implementation of tasers is not the answer.

But don't get me started on Australian law. Mail fraud will get you ten years but rape, or even murder? 2 years. Maybe even five.

 

[Lionsfan]

Same reason that teenage brats hate their parents.

"You're making me act all civilised when all I want to do is be a total idiot and break stuff and mess everything up. I hate you!"

This, many many times over.

As someone who just recently left High School I still hear, "Oh man, fuck the cops. Their such pigs and intrusive pricks. Who gave them the right to come to my party?" Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that you advertised it on Facebook saying you were providing alcohol? Or the fact that your normally quiet neighborhood suddenly has a couple hundred kids running around it? Or that your playing music so loud you can hear it a couple blocks away? Those all seem like open invitations for some police to show up

 

[Stuntcrab]

Because:
A) People are stupid
B) The Media likes blast every isolated case of police brutality or anything like it all over the place.
C) Rap music. Rappers are constantly slamming the police. You can't tell me that a few dipshit wannabe gangstas don't pick up on that.
D) People are stupid

Don't forget
E) People are stupid