Sounds like you're a product of the media. Just like you don't hear of all of the planes that land safely and all of the people who left their place of work and didn't come back the next day and fill everyone full of lead, you only see what the media thinks will get you to watch the news or read the paper. The media doesn't want to report on the group of people who saved the puppies from drowning in a well. Instead, they would rather do a story on the sick f**k who threw them down in there in the first place. I'm sure you've personally seen some things too. But it's probably a really small percentage of "all" police. We, as a society, don't help at all because we seem to thrive on controversy and people beating on and yelling at each other. Of all the cops you hear and/or see that are abusing their positions, I'm sure there are many more out there doing their jobs.
Well thats what the news is for. There is no point in having "Breaking news. Man asks Burger King employee to hold the mayo. Man receives."
Patrick, no, I do not control the thread, but I DO have the right to ask that you stay ON topic. I did create the thread, so please, keep it on the topic that is at hand. My statements were for the other people who feel that they should attack ALL police officers, including those I consider my friends, because of the action of 1 officer. And I do have the right to ask Cliff to close this, whether he complies or not, because this thread is rapidly headed for the Trash Can.
The reason I made the post I made, was because a friend of mine on the forum was having his character attacked. FieroHoHo is a good person. He is willing to help anyone out in most situations. From the times I have met him, and talked with him, he is one of the people that we NEED in a position of authority. While he may not be able to change the world in one broad sweep of his hand, he can help those that need it in his every day job as a Police Officer.
[This message has been edited by Synthesis (edited 05-27-2006).]
IP: Logged
09:55 PM
Patrick Member
Posts: 38050 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
Patrick, no, I do not control the thread, but I DO have the right to ask that you stay ON topic. I did create the thread...
Sorry, but creating the thread gives you no more say than anyone else in its eventual direction. Yes, you can certainly request that it stay on "topic", but you have no power to demand anything of the sort. As a thread evolves, it takes on a life of its own. Ya gotta let it go...
Besides, often a thread becomes even more interesting when it goes off on all sorts of different tangents.
IP: Logged
10:06 PM
cccharlie Member
Posts: 2006 From: North Smithfield, RI Registered: Jan 2003
Just my opinion, but the media seems to concentrate on the negative. Controversy and misery seem to dominate the coverage.
Because that's what gets the ratings.
As for the "good cops" I know there are some, but they are woefully in the minority from what I've seen. Not all are psychopaths, but the vast majority, IMO, are all about their own ego, and even if they aren't trying to hurt people, their primary concern is to themself and not to serving and protecting the people. They (the vast majority) look at every individual as a potential threat. It's hard to help someone if you're also trying to make sure you can kill or subdue them at any moment.
Maybe that's a sign of the times, but I think it's more a sign of the police force. There is too much of a tendancy to cover for a brother in blue, assuming the officer must be in the right at all times than trying to ferret out the bad apples. You saw it with Rodney King. You read about it in this thread's article in Baltimore. You saw and read about numerous occurances in New Orleans, before, during, and after Katrina.
How many innocent civilians have died at the hands of a "peace officer" who's serving a "no knock" warrant? Why is it that the law says the police cannot be held liable for damages they inflict on innocent civilians, even if it's due to negligence? -Case in point: There was an incident here in Raleigh when I was in college where an officer engaged in high speed pursuit hit someone's car and killed the driver. The officer received "administrative punishment" consisting of a demotion and a desk job. It was reported the cop was demoted because they continued the pursuit beyond what was considered safe for the area. Nothing for the family who lost a loved one. Just collateral damage in the "war on speeding" (the pursuit was because a kid didn't stop when pulled for 70 in a 55).
The good cops out there need to listen to what people say. Many hate you. Many more are afraid of you. If not you, then you have your brothers in blue to thank for this attitude.
As for the "good cops" I know there are some, but they are woefully in the minority from what I've seen. Not all are psychopaths, but the vast majority, IMO, are all about their own ego, and even if they aren't trying to hurt people, their primary concern is to themself and not to serving and protecting the people. They (the vast majority) look at every individual as a potential threat. It's hard to help someone if you're also trying to make sure you can kill or subdue them at any moment.
Maybe that's a sign of the times, but I think it's more a sign of the police force. There is too much of a tendancy to cover for a brother in blue, assuming the officer must be in the right at all times than trying to ferret out the bad apples. You saw it with Rodney King. You read about it in this thread's article in Baltimore. You saw and read about numerous occurances in New Orleans, before, during, and after Katrina.
How many innocent civilians have died at the hands of a "peace officer" who's serving a "no knock" warrant? Why is it that the law says the police cannot be held liable for damages they inflict on innocent civilians, even if it's due to negligence? -Case in point: There was an incident here in Raleigh when I was in college where an officer engaged in high speed pursuit hit someone's car and killed the driver. The officer received "administrative punishment" consisting of a demotion and a desk job. It was reported the cop was demoted because they continued the pursuit beyond what was considered safe for the area. Nothing for the family who lost a loved one. Just collateral damage in the "war on speeding" (the pursuit was because a kid didn't stop when pulled for 70 in a 55).
The good cops out there need to listen to what people say. Many hate you. Many more are afraid of you. If not you, then you have your brothers in blue to thank for this attitude.
Ok, so you worded it a little better than myself.
IP: Logged
01:21 AM
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
The good cops outweigh the bad in most places by a large percentage. Most bad cops are caught not being able to pass the psych tests before even getting on the force. Right now my county is trying to recruit a bunch of new officers, and they can't find eligible people. Most get their chance squashed with the credit check or background check. A huge chunk of what is left go away when given psychological exams, that takes out a large percentage of the ex-military... just a different mindset required.
Their are still hardasses, most of those gravitate to motorcycle patrol apparently. That's been my experience working with them in the past. Again, not all of them are hardasses, but the ubercop that will pull you over for failing to signal the correct distance from an intersection on a deserted road (Son... you signalled 95 feet away from intersection... spread em!) tend to be on motorcycles here.
Our sheriff deputies here are awesome, I'm part of a community group that gets email blasts from a couple of deputies when they are looking for something/someone. We bypass 911 for non emergency incidents and pass on drughouse license numbers , prowlers, etc. info directly to certain officers. They get to compile stuff from what we give them and then build the cases against the problem people and bust them instead of just showing up and taking a report that goes nowhere. At a community business meeting last week our neighborhood deputy showed up (and he shows up every month at out town community meeting to give a report and discuss any neighorhood issues/problems), and at the end of the meeting he took the leftover food for a woman that was living in her truck with her three kids. I suggest getting to know the local officers when they aren't showing up because someone called them about you... it's much better to have them familiar with you as being a good guy than a bad guy.
I've had a lot of contact with a lot of police and have gotten my share of traffic tickets, and I've done some stupid stuff that could have ended up with me doing time. An incident involving me having a neighbor at gunpoint ended up with me just getting to go back to bed, without my weapons confiscated or anything, in large because there was a deputy that responded that knew what I was dealing with on an ongoing basis. They knew I hadn't pulled my weapon lightly, but I could have had the book tossed at me for brandishing, possibly trespassing etc because I confronted a neighbor rather than calling 911 and ended up having to end an imminent threat to my life by drawning down on someone that I didn't know. Another involved me taking equipment from a shop that didn't pay my wages and after months of not getting paid what I was owed (which I'd been documenting in my dayplanner) I lost it when I saw his new truck with 26" rims out front and walked in, took a few expensive looking cases for tools and walked out, told him he could have them back when I got paid... I inventoried them and drove home where a cop was waiting for me. Shop owner had called 911 with my license plate number and implied I was a stranger that just ran in and stole his stuff. I show the officer what I had and my documents of the problem, I was legally guilty of theft... he took the stuff and returned it to the shop owner, convinced the shop owner that pressing charges would be a bad idea on his part because he'd be testifying about the false info given in the 911 call and I got paid what I was owed over the next month or so.
Basically, if you aren't making the cops life harder just to be a pita, they aren't out to get you. If you look like a crook, act like a crook, look like an ass and act like one... they can make your life hell and probably aren't going to give a damn when you really need them. If you want to see what a cop really does all day, check to see if your locals have a citizens academy or ride alongs.
You'll get to see that they deal with crap all day that you wouldn't put up with for a minute. My favorite deputy is on 10 days administrative leave right now because he ran a perp over that started shooting at him. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/story/5750444p-5144401c.html
IP: Logged
02:08 AM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
all I can say is WOW. (and yes, I've been pulled over many times, and not just here in the midwest)
If I applied the same logic (as many in this thread have towards police officers) to my experiences with African Americans here in central Indiana, I would definitely be one major racist piece of crap.
Fortunately, I have more brains than that. I've chosen to leave the generalities and assumptions to the mindless KKK pieces of $hit in the septic tank of America.
what a waste of bandwidth
ok, back to the regularly scheduled turd flow that this thread has brought about............
IP: Logged
12:23 AM
under8ted Member
Posts: 1108 From: Sparta, ON, Canada Registered: Mar 2006
I've encountered both good and bad cops. I've personally known a few. The ones that still care about protecting and serving you can tell. The others you wish you could do something about because it seems they're on a power trip.
Was in the middle lane of 5 lanes of traffic going with the flow (in a VW Fox!). The cop comes down the on ramp and pulls me over. I mentioned other were going faster. He asked me, "Have you ever gone fishing?" Me, "Yea..." Him, "Did you catch them all, or just a few?"
Scenario: Southern New Mexico going to El Paso 80 miles away. Speed limit in town 35, out of town 65 (I think...). 4 lanes in town, 2 out. Stereotypical Mexican pickup loaded with junk going 25. I hit the gas to pass him before the extra lane ends. Maybe going 75. Just as I pass it I see a trooper on the side. I pull over and wait. He pulls out, lights flashing. Pulls up behind me and we both start laughing. He said he never saw anyone pull over before he pulled out before. I said where was I going to run? He knew why I was going fast and only because he called it in he had to give me a ticket, for 5 over.
IP: Logged
06:49 AM
lurker Member
Posts: 12355 From: salisbury nc usa Registered: Feb 2002
Originally posted by Gokart Mozart: Was in the middle lane of 5 lanes of traffic going with the flow (in a VW Fox!). The cop comes down the on ramp and pulls me over. I mentioned other were going faster. He asked me, "Have you ever gone fishing?" Me, "Yea..." Him, "Did you catch them all, or just a few?"
one day on the way to the beach when i lived in Tampa, driving with the flow of traffic (everyone doing about 45 in a 35 zone) i got pulled over. when i asked the officer why he picked me, he said "well, ive got to pull someone". i replied "i cant argue with that". he let me go with a warning.
IP: Logged
08:25 AM
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
I have always thought that THAT law needs to be reworked. It's to easy to manipulate it in order to aquire a persons assets. I would feel more comfortable if the seizeurs were donated to homeless charities. That way, the prociedes from the drugs that put some people on the streets could be used to help the very people they hurt, in the beginning.
About Cops: I have had quite a bit of negitive contact with them. It has never went my way, and they have never helped me when I needed them, not once. But...................when dealing with me they have always done there job "by the book", made their desizions concerning me based on the evidence before them, and even cut me a little slack here & there.
My only complaint is the Street Cops deductive reasoning skills. A few times they believed the bad guy over me, I suspect simply becouse it was an easier call to make. I'm sure as time goes on, they get better at seeing the truth, but in a few cases I have been wronged by their snap desisions. I would have been vindicated if they would have just spent a little more time & brain power looking at the job before them. But I do realize that sometimes that's just not in there best intrest. Resolve em' quick and get to the next one.
I will say that everytime they have gotten me for something, I have been guilty of it. And I have never been mistreated. Not once.
IP: Logged
02:48 PM
Tigger Member
Posts: 4368 From: Flint, MI USA Registered: Sep 2000
Good luck with that. All B-more needs is money taken away the city. The reason the cops suck is because there isn't enogh money to hire enough cops. I feel for the people but lets just punish the cop that ruined their day and not the whole city.
Some see it as a justified opportunity to sue the city for all they're worth. But if it were you or I, they'd tell you to suck it up... wouldn't be worth the lawyer costs (like you could afford one anyway) etc. and how it's going to increase your taxes.
IP: Logged
06:25 PM
under8ted Member
Posts: 1108 From: Sparta, ON, Canada Registered: Mar 2006
That statement is a million kinds of ****ed-up! I'll bet you didn't think so when the World Trade Center was attacked.
9-11 me and about 8 other guys were busy handling about tripple our normal aircraft traffic at an "uber-executive" facility (think the one the pope and presidents choose to come into), trying to get the crews, passengers and machines all looked after. Last thing I had the time, or inclanation, to deal with was a low-IQ stormtrooper with an attack first mentality.
I did have a good smile on one of them a couple days later. Front rotor clearance on a sikorky is about 5 foot. This moron was about 6'2" and wanted to walk up to the helicopter from the front.
We woulda let him, but rotar blades are expensive to replace.
IP: Logged
08:15 PM
F-I-E-R-O Member
Posts: 8410 From: Endwell, NY Registered: Jan 2005
After reading some of the negative comments in this thread, I feel like I just stepped in some pretty nasty dog poop. My take on what's wrong with many of the cops that I've run into is that 1) they've become desensitized to trating people with respect as a result of the scumbags that they've had to deal with. 2) Poor leadership within the ranks. 3) Little accountability
I'm not a big fan of too many cops, but imagine if they had the same attitude as under8ted. Think things are bad now, I don't even want to imagine what they would be like if I ran into his mirror image peace keeper. Comments like his are way too over the edge for my taste, and have a feeling that the rating system may prove to be a valuable asset once again.
It seems as though the attitudes of the police are taking a turn for the worse as time goes on. As such, the public's perception of them has also become soured. My guess is that this has resulted from their frustratration with the justice system, or lack there of. Our current system puts the criminals they are able to apprehend back in the streets in days time with a mere slap on the wrist giving the boys in blue little incentive to do anything productive. They probably think "Why bother putting our lives in danger trying to stop serious criminal offenses when I can just pester ordinary joes?", As such, they go on collecting their quota through minor offenses such as signal light and window tint violations, winning the favor of their superiors and those tending the city coffers. As such, the modern cop has become basically a revenue enforcer for the city with little or no interest in actually helping out the community.
But then again - maybe I'm just bitter about being manhandled by an officer this weekend while trying to administer first aid to a stabbing victim outside a theatre in my neighbourhood. To make a long story short - if you are ever in Saskatoon and a man with two large knife wounds collapses in front of you - just keep walking and save yourself a lot of hassle. Don't call 911 and wait with the victim, doing your best to try and stop the bleeding and keep them from going into shock; just don't do anything. Save yourself the bruises from being thrown around by the boys in blue, who obviously aren't the swiftest of sorts and can't differentiate between those trying to assist an individual and those that are trying to hurt them. Don't try and be a good samaritan, just walk away. Trust me.
[This message has been edited by loafer87gt (edited 05-30-2006).]
IP: Logged
12:11 AM
GDS-1 Member
Posts: 157 From: Tacoma,WA,USA Registered: Feb 2006
The good cops outweigh the bad in most places by a large percentage. Most bad cops are caught not being able to pass the psych tests before even getting on the force. Right now my county is trying to recruit a bunch of new officers, and they can't find eligible people. Most get their chance squashed with the credit check or background check. A huge chunk of what is left go away when given psychological exams, that takes out a large percentage of the ex-military... just a different mindset required.
Their are still hardasses, most of those gravitate to motorcycle patrol apparently. That's been my experience working with them in the past. Again, not all of them are hardasses, but the ubercop that will pull you over for failing to signal the correct distance from an intersection on a deserted road (Son... you signalled 95 feet away from intersection... spread em!) tend to be on motorcycles here.
Our sheriff deputies here are awesome, I'm part of a community group that gets email blasts from a couple of deputies when they are looking for something/someone. We bypass 911 for non emergency incidents and pass on drughouse license numbers , prowlers, etc. info directly to certain officers. They get to compile stuff from what we give them and then build the cases against the problem people and bust them instead of just showing up and taking a report that goes nowhere. At a community business meeting last week our neighborhood deputy showed up (and he shows up every month at out town community meeting to give a report and discuss any neighorhood issues/problems), and at the end of the meeting he took the leftover food for a woman that was living in her truck with her three kids. I suggest getting to know the local officers when they aren't showing up because someone called them about you... it's much better to have them familiar with you as being a good guy than a bad guy.
I've had a lot of contact with a lot of police and have gotten my share of traffic tickets, and I've done some stupid stuff that could have ended up with me doing time. An incident involving me having a neighbor at gunpoint ended up with me just getting to go back to bed, without my weapons confiscated or anything, in large because there was a deputy that responded that knew what I was dealing with on an ongoing basis. They knew I hadn't pulled my weapon lightly, but I could have had the book tossed at me for brandishing, possibly trespassing etc because I confronted a neighbor rather than calling 911 and ended up having to end an imminent threat to my life by drawning down on someone that I didn't know. Another involved me taking equipment from a shop that didn't pay my wages and after months of not getting paid what I was owed (which I'd been documenting in my dayplanner) I lost it when I saw his new truck with 26" rims out front and walked in, took a few expensive looking cases for tools and walked out, told him he could have them back when I got paid... I inventoried them and drove home where a cop was waiting for me. Shop owner had called 911 with my license plate number and implied I was a stranger that just ran in and stole his stuff. I show the officer what I had and my documents of the problem, I was legally guilty of theft... he took the stuff and returned it to the shop owner, convinced the shop owner that pressing charges would be a bad idea on his part because he'd be testifying about the false info given in the 911 call and I got paid what I was owed over the next month or so.
Basically, if you aren't making the cops life harder just to be a pita, they aren't out to get you. If you look like a crook, act like a crook, look like an ass and act like one... they can make your life hell and probably aren't going to give a damn when you really need them. If you want to see what a cop really does all day, check to see if your locals have a citizens academy or ride alongs.
You'll get to see that they deal with crap all day that you wouldn't put up with for a minute. My favorite deputy is on 10 days administrative leave right now because he ran a perp over that started shooting at him. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/story/5750444p-5144401c.html
Which neighborhood you're at? Hilltop, Eastside, Southend...?
IP: Logged
07:54 AM
PFF
System Bot
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
