Are the police still the police?

[mikey2much]

Since the last two wars america has fought, the war on drugs and the war on terror, has been against its own people, could the police now be an occupying army. They have surely gotten all the equipment they need from the government.

When a cop makes a traffic stop now he wears his bullet proof vest and parks his car in such a way to provide cover in case you start to shoot.

This rash of cop shootings are just an indication of the way they approach 'policing' like an occupying army would. Shoot first ask questions later, seems to be the rule of the day. I don't really care what color their targets are, they are all americans and deserve better.

 

[oggbashan]

When the first Policemen were introduced in England by Sir Robert Peel, fears were expressed that they would be an occupying army.

British Police have always been trained to be polite, even when arresting people.

Whether they follow their training when arresting a violent drunk? Not always.

Or when arresting people of different races? Some forces have accused of 'Institutionalised Racism'.

But you are very unlikely to be shot by a British Policeman. It does happen but very rarely.

 

[sufisaint]

The truth is cops have become tax collectors with guns collecting fines and court costs which go into the local and state coffers...they spend less than ten percent actually preventing or solving real crimes.

 

[mikey2much]

The drug forfeiture laws as well

The truth is cops have become tax collectors with guns collecting fines and court costs which go into the local and state coffers...they spend less than ten percent actually preventing or solving real crimes.

I used to go around with my sewing machine in my truck and do custom interiors for street rodders. The job would take up to three weeks and I would work with the guy who owned the car so he got what he wanted.

Once I did a VW beetle for a guy who worked in Jackson Miss as a Crime Statitican.

As we built his bug he explained in detail how law enforcement was being directed into the crimes where there was a profit to be made. For instance when you catch a robber it cost the state money to try him and then to imprison him. But a drug bust will result in property being seized and big fines being paid.

Drug dealers have deep pockets and are easily picked by law enforcement. Robbers are poor addicts with very little to take. Between these two facts lies the reason why so many of our present inmates are in for drugs.

 

[mikey2much]

I thought that you guys had been amercanized

When the first Policemen were introduced in England by Sir Robert Peel, fears were expressed that they would be an occupying army.

British Police have always been trained to be polite, even when arresting people.

Whether they follow their training when arresting a violent drunk? Not always.

Or when arresting people of different races? Some forces have accused of 'Institutionalised Racism'.

But you are very unlikely to be shot by a British Policeman. It does happen but very rarely.

I thought that the 'bobbys' were armed now. Am I mistaken?

 

[oggbashan]

I thought that the 'bobbys' were armed now. Am I mistaken?

We have armed response teams.

The normal policeman is NOT armed.

Even an 'armed' one may only have a Tazer.

But we do have guns available to the police.

As in - "There is an armed robbery happening in front of me. Please will you send the armed response team? They'll be here in 15 minutes? Gee. Thanks."

 

[Balladeer08]

The truth is cops have become tax collectors with guns collecting fines and court costs which go into the local and state coffers...they spend less than ten percent actually preventing or solving real crimes.

Yes, I refer to them as revenuers. This is especially true of motorcycle cops. Used to be you could write a "fixer ticket". Now, even those come with court costs attached, although you are not going into court.

 

[Balladeer08]

I used to go around with my sewing machine in my truck and do custom interiors for street rodders. The job would take up to three weeks and I would work with the guy who owned the car so he got what he wanted.

Once I did a VW beetle for a guy who worked in Jackson Miss as a Crime Statitican.

As we built his bug he explained in detail how law enforcement was being directed into the crimes where there was a profit to be made. For instance when you catch a robber it cost the state money to try him and then to imprison him. But a drug bust will result in property being seized and big fines being paid.

Drug dealers have deep pockets and are easily picked by law enforcement. Robbers are poor addicts with very little to take. Between these two facts lies the reason why so many of our present inmates are in for drugs.

The police have pretty much always done some things that the general public isn't aware of and wouldn't approve of.

Crime is partly controlled by controlling the reporting of it. Too many felonies in your area? The Sgt. or Lt. will whip out the whiteout and their pen. Your attempted burglary (felony) just became a trespass with property damage (misdemeanor). Too many prostitutes in your area? Stop arresting them for soliciting, arrest them for disorderly conduct.

It's crap. It's crap because it is A) dishonest and B) not in the public interest.

Meanwhile, the brass who will discipline an officer for getting a free cup of coffee at the 7-11 will happily take dinners and junkets. They are doing police business, after all. Like staying awake on graveyard shift isn't?

I also find that many of the young officers are rude. They are pretending to be tough. It is offensive. And self-defeating, and causes problems for other officers as well as themselves. But a lot of them seem to think they are starring in a movie or tv show about cops. It gets weird sometimes.

 

[PayDay]

Lots of bullshit in this thread: /me points at OP.

 

[mikey2much]

It's the attitude that makes them different from police

I also find that many of the young officers are rude. They are pretending to be tough. It is offensive. And self-defeating, and causes problems for other officers as well as themselves. But a lot of them seem to think they are starring in a movie or tv show about cops. It gets weird sometimes.

I think that when you go out every day wearing your vest and acting like you might get shot at on every traffic stop because that is what your training requires you to do.

That ain't police work. That ain't protecting and serving nobody. That is forcing the public to acknowledge where the power is and who is in charge.

It makes the cop take a very confrontational stance. I think that as the days pass and he always looking for the one time that somebody shoots at him, and it never happens, he begins to hold the public in contemp. An adversary to chicken shit to fight.

 

[JohnQuintell]

I think that when you go out every day wearing your vest and acting like you might get shot at on every traffic stop because that is what your training requires you to do.

That ain't police work. That ain't protecting and serving nobody. That is forcing the public to acknowledge where the power is and who is in charge.

It makes the cop take a very confrontational stance. I think that as the days pass and he always looking for the one time that somebody shoots at him, and it never happens, he begins to hold the public in contemp. An adversary to chicken shit to fight.

I have my silly views.

One of my best friends was shot by a police officer.
In fact the situation involved the officer running after him through his home, and up to his room.
were the officer said he witnessed him pulling out, or putting away a gun.
So he shot him dead.
I hate that it happened, and I miss him with all my heart.
We were just in he high.

But when I look at all this distrust for the police, it makes me irate.
I have to live with always woundering.
Only I wounder about the choices of "one man" in a situation I don't fully understand.

I feel sympathy for all the other recent situations, I really do.

Yet I feel the police as in general serve us well.
And with out them, the chaotic nature of our society would become predictable.
They are an enforcment of control in situations were people need to be dealt with.

Now as for the situations that sprung this.
Some of these people didn't need die.
And perhaps some police officers were at fault as an individual.
Like when the officer hit the bycicalist, or another just recently choked a man to death.

And others were being a bit foolish.

There was one who galavanted around a Walmart with a mock AK toy, after knowing damn well people have been shooting up stores.

Another was a kid who was targeted after having been caught on camera stealing from a convenience store.
He then slammed the police door on the officer, then clearly stood off at a distance with the that officer menacingly.
Another didn't respond to the police when he said to stop moving for somthing in the car, and he then came rushing out toward the officer.

And from these situations, I may still feel apprehensive, regret.
Sad that there dead.

How ever no matter what the fact, if I was that officer,.
Any officer black or white, I would still have been some what afraid for my own life.

I wouldn't know why the kid was standing off with me after being so aggressive.
Why was The man coming out of the car with an object after having been told fiercely to stop.
or even under stand why the man was in the store with the mock full black air soft toy.

These are situations were I would clearly fear for my own safety as a person first.
And fight or flight clearly go's both ways.

That's what annoys me.
Other then those people who were personaly at fault.
The officers, the people still had to deal with being put in situations were any of us would have to question what's going on.
Am I safe or should I react to save my own life?

And I dare any of you to imagine if you would have easily know. It was an air soft gun, or fear for the public and deal in time?
Face down a person who was aggressive with you in that specific situation and not feel that threatened.
Keep yelling at some one to stop getting the object then as they lung out not wounder in that instant. Am I going to be attacked.

All this does even after loosing my friend, is make it harder for the law enforcers who do keep us safe.

If I upset any one I'm sorry.
But people feel so free to question that which they take for granted.