Why Do So Many People Hate the Police?

[SenseOfTumour]

Just as I feel you're an idiot if you protest soldier homecomings, I think you're generally an idiot to hate the police, tho of course it's fine to hate individual police officers, there's always going to be some being dicks and letting the side down.

Both soldiers and the police defend the public, according to rules laid down by those in power. If you don't like the rules or the actions of the police or army, then you need to look up, not just harrass the first guy you see in a uniform, especially if he's in an ice cream van...ok I meandered from my point a bit there, but it still stands, you don't like the laws, vote out whoever's in power. you don't like the actions of the army, again, you need to move against those in power.

 

[Hateren47]

I love the Danish police even though i don't see them often enough. They do their job, they don't harass anyone and best of all they aren't corrupt. The worst thing about them is that there isn't enough of them.
Also he beat up bad guy and doesn't afraid of anything.

 

[The_Emperor]

Power tripping, unquestioning loyalty to illogical laws, corruption, take orders from slimy politicians, only some realise they are to serve the people, employing dirty tricks to up statistics so they look good, police brutality, superiority complexes, in england they take outrageous bonuses, they will make up arrests just to get those bonuses.

not all cops are bad though, most of them are just dudes doing a job.

we wouldnt all be dead if there were no cops, we would just have alot more work defending ourselves with local militia or lawmen or whatever.

I dont hate all cops just the way they have been used and trained recently by corrupt government and some of them are just plain assholes but they would of been that way anyway cop or not, now they are just assholes with the power to beat you and take you to jail and they can lie about beating you.

Most people who say they love the police have rarely came up against the justice system and it's blatant, unaddressed flaws.

like nice people, dislike nasty people.

 

[Decum]

I don't hate them, they can be annoying when they stop you and ask you questions or when they blame you for something you know nothing about or when they are rude to you for no reason but its their job.

 

[klakkat]

What is it about cops that gets so many people's panties in a bunch?

Well, IИ THЭ ИEЩ RЦSSIД cops are not that different from criminals they're supposed to fight, with corruption and police brutality running amok. That's why i, personally, don't like them. In Western countries though, where policemen are mostly decent folk... i don't know.

A co-worker of mine moved to the US from a Slavic nation (I don't remember which one; not Russia), and had a deep-seeded distrust of the police. However, since we worked at a store that was open late hours and in downtown, sometimes we needed to call the police to ensure our safety, so I basically had to teach him that cops here aren't (usually) crooks. Sure, there are some bad ones, but they aren't the kind that respond to a store manager requesting removal of a belligerent drunk, or if they do they're mad at the drunk, not the manager. He's since lightened up a lot on cops (at least, American ones).

Me, I respect them for the most part. I've met several off-duty; gotten off with warnings on some traffic tickets, and only been ticketed for things I know I was in violation of. Overall, I've never met a bad cop; I know they exist but I don't think they're common. I imagine a lot of cops are jaded though from the abuse people heap on them; it probably takes some thick skin to be a good cop for your entire career.

Unless you're a criminal, in most modern nations there is really nothing to fear about the police. They don't tend to go after you for no reason, because they face repercussions for doing so. Just remember, don't joke around with the police; they aren't paid enough to have a sense of humor on the job. And DON'T point a weapon at them; you will get shot (and rightly so).

 

[Social Pariah]

Well from my viewpoint, and a lot of cases of people, including some of my friends, it would be because of their woeful inability or dislike for actually helping you. Staff cuts, budget cuts, cuts here there and everywhere to their pay and equipment and what you're left with is a bitter group of officers who won't actually go out of their way to help you at all, or even in the slightest in some cases if they can avoid it.

Crime in certain areas is just left to itself because the police just don't want the hassle of policing it, evidence is lost or misplaced all of the time, the courts give ridiculous harsh verdicts for minimal crimes and then ridiculously lenient verdicts for bigger crimes. For one instance, my friend was chased around the town centre late at night by a group of joyriders in a stolen car, ramming in to the back of him and trying to drive him off the road. He called the police who at first didn't want to do a thing, they didn't send a car to find him, they didn't want anything to do with it, he had to say that he was coming to the police station himself to get anywhere and they said to wait outside for an officer to come out, which he didn't until my friend rang again. He finally managed to lose/lose the interest of his pursuers, and found the police officer outside, who then took him inside and asked whether he was sure that he hadn't imagined the whole event and that it actually happened. : |
Apparently despite driving all the way around town, almost being driven off the road and with his car being damaged, he "wasn't picked up on any CCTV"... -_-
I.e, they couldn't be arsed to sift through any CCTV to find this car chase that had occurred around the town centre in front of the mass of CCTV that they have stationed there.
My friend had the licence plate, and descriptions of some of the occupants, and the police did absolutely f##k all about it, not at the time, and not any point after.

So at least where I live, the police do little to help the populace except police the bars and clubs on Fridays and Saturdays with their riot vans.
They're woefully inept and either unmotivated or uncaring.
A vast number of people would love to be police officers, but they have stringent requirements, and never hire these days, despite the ineptness of so many of the current workforce.
My friend wanted to be a police officer and had tried to get in on certain schemes before the incident, but after rejection and this, he wants nothing to do with them.

 

[Duskwaith]

In Northern ireland the police use to be pretty brutal to the nationalist community(collusion etc.) leading to a massive social-political shit storm in the form of the troubles.

Now days it isnt so bad but still some people would feel uneasy about a police presence

 

[Wicky_42]

Cos there are many publicised incidents of cops abusing their power. No-one wants to have to deal with a cop who's having a bad day and is looking to get their quotas up, and the idea of being dealt with by little more than glorified thugs who will get kicks from fucking up your day is not a pleasant one to countenance.

Plus, G20/G8. Legally the cops are there to protect the people and their right to protest. In reality, they are there to infringe on that right under the pretence of cracking down on trouble makers. There are so many lies and bullshit thrown around by the authorities that the pessimistic impression of the birth of a police state just seems to be reinforced every time there's a major political event. There's never an excuse to take a batton to the face of a woman with her hands up, or to illegally detain men, women and children for 24 hours in a warehouse the day after rioting.

 

[Kwaren]

Where I am from they were their badge like a crown.

 

[CyberAkuma]

The Swedish Chief of Police was sentanced to 7 year jailtime on the accounts of assault, rape, severe rape, purchase of sexual favours (Prostitution is illegal in Sweden) and procuring.

I don't need to say more...

 

[Motti]

Have you heard them play? They sound absolutely terrible!

(obvious pun is obvious I know, and for the record I don't actually mind the police - the band or the law enforcement group.)

 

[Kenko]

I dont hate the police where I live, I simply distrust them. Alot of them are on the payroll from organized crime and the cops never come when you need them too. Thats mostly due to the previous douchebag socialdemocratic government cutting the cops funding.

 

[Jonesy911]

I've only ever had two run ins with the police, both times I was innocent and both times they treated me like shit. It isnt just a few police officers who abuse their power.

But I also hate them because they enforce stupid redundant laws on people e.g. smoking weed. Sure they didnt invent the law but they enforce it and thats just as bad. The police are a human face that represents a large in-human government and the more power they have, the less free we become. The police hide their oppresion behind a thin layer of "protection", yet they do jack shit to protect anyone and would rather shoot the dangerous junkie than help him.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

for the most part they are good to have. But sometimes you have that one asshole cop. That thinks its funny to ruin your day.

 

[The Aimless One]

Well....If one enjoy's activities that perhaps are prohibited by ones governement.
And the cops regularly come to enforce your governements will.
Then one might start to think: "Hey! We're not hurting anyone, we're not bothering people.
Just leave us alone and go suck on your rulebook!"

Protection is nice though....so there's some form of dillemma here.

 

[Levitas1234]

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

E) cops are on the most part, dicks.

I dislike being chased when i'm minding my own business, thus i dislike cops.

 

[dragonsdale]

Living in a small city in norway I can have nothing but respect for the police. Sadly, there was an incident recently(year ago or so) where a officer got hold of a gun (yeah, the guns are usualy locked away deep in mordor) and shot his girlfirend and himself. The entire city was down for months. The entire nation was saddened.

sometimes this country seems to be in the right mentality

 

[KarumaK]

I hate all people.

I just hate the ones who are armed and paid using my money to watch me more.