Cop Bashing

Law enforcement employees are only human. They’re not holier than thou and they do not wear blue longjohns with a red & gold “S” on their chest. Being human means that they’re not perfect and they do make mistakes.

Most people who choose a career in law enforcement do so with a desire to help others or to make a positive difference in our fucked up world.

Being human, there are those who do make it past the written, physical agility, background, polygraph, psychiatric & Chief’s / Commander’s interviews who are only interested in their own personal gain. Their own personal gain might take the form of pulling over the next Mrs., targeting minorities that offend them by their mere existence or just driving around and lookin’ bitchin’.

The one’s who are not here “To Protect And Serve” usually get weeded out eventually when they’re caught red handed on video or by peers. Sometimes they manage to fly beneath the radar for their entire careers. The fuck up’s deserve to be fried for betraying the public trust.

In regards to harassment for being a minority, it exists for the previously stated reason & because we still have prejudices in our society. Whenever someone makes a complaint to law enforcement, we are obligated morally and legally to follow it up. Look at what happened when the Fat Boys Institute kissed off the report of the suspicious persons who only wanted to learn how to fly and not land a plane.

An anonymous RP calls and states that there is a suspicious person in their neighborhood. Even after further questioning has determined that the only thing suspicious is the person’s ethnicity, an officer will still be dispatched to drive by on the “felony minority” call. If there is probable cause (highly unlikely in “felony minority” calls), then the officer will make contact. If not, the officer drives by, gives the person the evil eye, and drives off because no crime or suspicious activity was observed.

If a gang rape victim or anonymous source states that the rapists might possibly be associated with a particular apartment or apartments, law enforcement is not going to kiss it off. They will investigate. Would it be prudent for a lone officer or detective to investigate the possible location of 5 felony suspects?

Why do some law enforcement employees have a shitty attitude & treat everyone like they’re dirtbags when they’re here to help people? That’s the result of dealing with people who lie to you 99% of the time. People will exaggerate the details of an incident in order to achieve a faster response time. They will call in an out of control party with drunks everywhere when in reality it’s a 5 year old’s birthday party.

If you really want to understand what’s going on in the mind of a cop, go for a ride-along. Just don’t show up if you’re drunk, high, or have warrants for your arrest. Driving to the local cop shop with a suspended or revoked license is also a bad idea.

I’m hearing you guys about the difficulties cops face on a daily basis, I understand it isn’t an easy job, but there are a few guys out there who standout as being idiots who enjoy abusing their power and those are the ones who make everyone form these prejudiced opinions about cops.

I do have a good story about cops, I’m a bit hesitant to share this but fuck it. Six years ago while I was on leave and visiting my parents, I was driving drunk and I ran my car thru a fence. The guy in the house calls the cops and I’m like holy shit I’m fucked cause the car is stuck and I’ve been drinking and a DUI in the Army is baaaaaaad, so when the cops show up I just run away. So the cops trace the plates to my parents and when I get home they’re already gone cause they got the call. So I call the police dispatch and my parents come back and get me and we go down to the scene of the crime. I’m expecting the worst, but the cop chews my ass and lets me go. I haven’t driven after drinking since.

[quote]slimjim wrote:
I’m hearing you guys about the difficulties cops face on a daily basis, I understand it isn’t an easy job, but there are a few guys out there who standout as being idiots who enjoy abusing their power and those are the ones who make everyone form these prejudiced opinions about cops.

I do have a good story about cops, I’m a bit hesitant to share this but fuck it. Six years ago while I was on leave and visiting my parents, I was driving drunk and I ran my car thru a fence. The guy in the house calls the cops and I’m like holy shit I’m fucked cause the car is stuck and I’ve been drinking and a DUI in the Army is baaaaaaad, so when the cops show up I just run away. So the cops trace the plates to my parents and when I get home they’re already gone cause they got the call. So I call the police dispatch and my parents come back and get me and we go down to the scene of the crime. I’m expecting the worst, but the cop chews my ass and lets me go. I haven’t driven after drinking since.[/quote]

Slim I’m hearing what you’re saying but it applies to all people. How about the plastic surgeon who used rug remnants in place of breast implants a few years back. The doctor who knowingly prescribes a medicine that is not good or not needed simply because the pharmaceutical companies payout for it. The pharmacist who steals oxycontin. The IRS agent who circumvents his own tax payments. The only difference is, that we(as police officers) are in the public eye. If I tried to bring a video camera to my doctors office I would be refused admittance. The point is that in order for you to understand what we do and why we do it you have to have been taught what we were and learn on the job from those that excel. No schooling in the world can prepare you like the 10 years of experience I have. Ten years in any school for criminal and/or administrative justice can’t prepare you the way 10 years of being a police officer in 3 states can. In every field in the world there are people who make it through the screening process who shouldn’t. Look at military doctors, my whole time in the military I never heard anything funnier than my platoon sgt at ft. Bragg “Be careful paratrooper, them is D+ doctors, why do you think they work for captains pay”. ANYWAYS, GREAT POST CYCO!!

everybody is going to have there opinion about the way LEO will act and if there fair of not. if you were abused by a cop in the past we are sorry but were not all the same.

if someone gets an attitude with a cop and then at the end of the situation they feel like the cop abused his athority, they need to put them selves in the cops shoe’s and think about the way they would have handled it.

once again im sure someone will tell me that i don’t know what im talking about(i am a cop)and that we all profile and storieotype the public just keep in mind the people that have commited the crimes in the past and the attitude that was given to the cop makes us the way we are to day.

and yes i know i can’t spell
thanks noticing <---- see i think i spelled it wrong : ) thank GOD for spell check (they should get that on this site) lol

[quote]10count wrote:
once again im sure someone will tell me that i don’t know what im talking about(i am a cop)and that we all profile and storieotype the public just keep in mind the people that have commited the crimes in the past and the attitude that was given to the cop makes us the way we are to day.
[/quote]

Yes, I do believe that is exactly what the problem is.

[quote]JD430 wrote:
Cyclo,

Not that I have to tell you, but dont take any of this personally. On that other thread, one of the geniuses that frequents
here actually posted “I dont even like cops”. Maybe its redundant, but lets replace that word cops with “asians” or “doctors” or “gays”. You an I both know that among certain circles, its still ok to hate an entire class of people simply because of what they do for a living. Often, it is the same crowd that prances around pretending to be tolerant and enlightened.

[/quote]

Hmmm I wonder who that genius could be? I believe the intent of that post on that thread was to say that I do believe cops have a hard job, and I made that statement in order to show that it was coming from the perspective of someone who isn’t a cop or even a fan of them.

I do have five friends who are cops, and I know about another ten personally. I have never asked them for a favor in regards to any legal circumstances because, believe it or not, with the exception of the incident posted above, I have never needed a favor and I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking someone to do something that could affect their job. If you feel I discriminate against cops please don’t develop a victim mentality and get held down by my opinions. Nice to compare me to a racist though, good for you.

[quote]10count wrote:
everybody is going to have there opinion about the way LEO will act and if there fair of not. if you were abused by a cop in the past we are sorry but were not all the same.
[/quote]
This is true. Some cops do abuse there authority.(cartman::respect my authoritie.) And that is what makes people afraid to even talk to police or anything. I stopped a young woman one time and she was crying the whole time. Not because she was getting a citation but because she had so many bad experiences with cops that she was just afraid of me. It broke my heart. I mean she couldnt even talk to me. Now Ive got enough experience to know when someone is trying to get out of a citation. And Ive heard them all. But,she was really sincere. So I had to let her go. Just in hopes that my one small act would help change her mind. [quote]

if someone gets an attitude with a cop and then at the end of the situation they feel like the cop abused his athority, they need to put them selves in the cops shoe’s and think about the way they would have handled it. [/quote]

Now Ive spoke of this before. Give attitud get it back. Now as cops we just cant give you the same attitude that the individual is giveing us. Now if they are a prick then of course our attitude will change. Now all the person is thinking is I cant believe this SOB is giveing me a ticket. I was only going 10 over the speed limit. Who does he think he is. So they get a bad attitude with us and now we have to try and controle it. But, what if it was the other way around and they had to deal with that attitude. They have to think about that. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. I know I dont go up to the car Ive stopped and say WTF OBER!! Do you have any clue how fast you where going. Damn what where you thinking. If I did that then how do you think the person in the car would respond.[quote]

once again im sure someone will tell me that i don’t know what im talking about(i am a cop)and that we all profile and storieotype the public just keep in mind the people that have commited the crimes in the past and the attitude that was given to the cop makes us the way we are to day.[/quote]

Im not going to tell you you dont know what is going on. But,yes someone will.
Not saying that you dont. I know you know whats up. But, when you deal with people that lie and cheat and try to get out of everything everyday like we do. Then thats when it gets hard to figure out who is being honest and who is trying to pull one over on you. That is where experience and common since come into play.

Goku

[quote]

There is good and bad everywhere. If you look hard enough you can find either or both. There are good cops, ok cops and bad cops. Just like people because they are people.

Don’t judge others unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. This cuts both ways. I always tried to understand why people do what they do.

I became a cop because I didn’t want to be one of those people who stand on the sidelines bitching about everything I didn’t like about society. I wanted to make a difference and truly help people. Just some people don’t want to be helped. I guess I’m just naive. I really thought I could make a difference.

It’s easy to be a critic. I’m the kind of person if I criticize something its only after I have an idea for a “reasonable” solution to the problem.

We’re all human and make mistakes. Unfortunately those mistakes can be costly. Yes, when I was a cop I’ve made mistakes and taken my lumps. No one is perfect including police.

Violence begets violence. You have the right to either comply with police officers commands or suffer the consequence of not doing so. If you follow orders and do what you are told whether you agree or disagree, rarely will physical harm come to you. You can always file charges against the officer if he is wrong with his watch commander, internal affairs and if necessary the FBI. You the public have much more power than you know.

If the law abiding public only realized they have way more power than cops do. Cops have to cover their asses on everything they do. All you have to do is complain if you feel victimized. Then the spiral of shit happens to the officer(s) involved. Cops get called on the carpet many times and put under intense scrutiny by their superiors and above (i.e. FBI and local/state politicians). Its not worth the bullshit to fuck with someone for no reason, I assure you. In most jurisdictions there is more than enough legitimate crap to keep officers busy or just plain fuck off than to make your life a living hell to have something to do. Do you realize all the paperwork, court appearances, etc. a cop has to deal with just for one stupid arrest? Believe me it’s not worth the aggravation to bum-rap somebody. Also, if there are enough complaints in a short time span against a cop, chances are that officer will soon be history. Even if the department is corrupt you can always take your complaint to the FBI and they are compelled to investigate. It’s like anywhere else in life; the squeaky wheel gets greased. If you really feel you have been wronged, have the conviction to challenge it and follow through on the complaint.

Sitting on this board and bitching isn’t going to do anyone any good. This debate will never change the cop’s minds and the citizens with a negative attitude about law enforcement will never change theirs. Lets all agree to disagree and move on.

The only thing getting a workout here now are my fingers. I hear a few weight stacks calling me to move them now. See ya!

AssBuster

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Being a cop has got to be one of the toughest/ most stressful jobs in the world.[/quote]

Yes,it is very stressful. Cops have the highest divorce rate. And highest suicide rate. (i know that it is true in the military. i dont think it would be much diff for a civilan cop either.)[quote]

Dealing with liars and criminals all day would sure fuck up my normally sunny disposition.[/quote]

Indeed. I always start the day out fresh and in a good mood. I never go to work and say let me see how can I Fuck someone over today. But, by the end of the day its hard not to be that way and even harder not to bring it home. I some how manage to leave it at the door though.[quote]

Cops never get credit for anything good, but always get criticized regardless of if they are right or wrong.[/quote]

Indeed.

I hate to hear that. Well, maybe its just because you dont know enough of them or any at all. Or maybe just bad some bad experiances with them. But, I grew up around cops. Hell, my father inlaw is a cop. The guy that lives next to me back home. My friends brother. And I know all the cops in my town back home.(its a small town.) I would go on ride alongs with them all the time from the time I was 14 to until I got married. They have even caught me doing some stupid shit that would have got me put in jail for a long time. But, I never ran or did anything. They new it was me and the next day I when to the station and told them what happened. Man did I get my ass chewed out. They are the reason I became a cop. Because all they have ever done is help me and my friends. Hell, now when I go home on leave we sit around and drink beer together and talk about the time I got in so much trouble and laugh about it. Hell, man if it wasnt for them I wouldnt be here today typeing on my computer. A good cop is always going to help you. And never look down on you for what you did.

Goku

[quote]slimjim wrote:
I’m hearing you guys about the difficulties cops face on a daily basis, I understand it isn’t an easy job, but there are a few guys out there who standout as being idiots who enjoy abusing their power and those are the ones who make everyone form these prejudiced opinions about cops.

I do have a good story about cops, I’m a bit hesitant to share this but fuck it. Six years ago while I was on leave and visiting my parents, I was driving drunk and I ran my car thru a fence. The guy in the house calls the cops and I’m like holy shit I’m fucked cause the car is stuck and I’ve been drinking and a DUI in the Army is baaaaaaad, so when the cops show up I just run away. So the cops trace the plates to my parents and when I get home they’re already gone cause they got the call. So I call the police dispatch and my parents come back and get me and we go down to the scene of the crime. I’m expecting the worst, but the cop chews my ass and lets me go. I haven’t driven after drinking since.[/quote]

Apparently, you only like cops when they DON’T do their jobs.

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
hedo wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
hedo wrote:
Cyco

Most of those who bashed you on the other thread bash everything and everyone. I wouldn’t take them too seriously.

Folks who don’t have a criminal intent support the police. I’m 42 and I have never seen the police cruise around looking for someone to fuck up just because theu felt like it. I have seen people get their ass kicked for acting like idiots, resisting arrest or trying to hide something.

Bottom line right or wrong, if you are getting arrested, resisting it is futile. It’s up to a court to decide. The cop is doing his job and if you are going to fuck with him then expect the same courtesy. If you don’t act like you are going to kick the cops ass, he will not usually kick yours.

I lived in NYC with the NYPD and never once had an issue with them despite numerous traffic stops and having a CCW permit. It’s about respect. I’ve been stopped by the NYPD in Brooklyn and Manhattan while carrying. Sinmply handed my id and permit over and then acted respectful. Never had a problem. I was also smart enough not to taunt them because I was phoony tough or an arrogant fool.

I saw that video from NO. I hate to see an old timer getting his ass kicked but I don’t know the entire story but I doubt if they just picked him out of a crowd to fuck up. If they did then it’s wrong but I seriosuly doubt that is what happened. More then likely he initiated it somehow.

You live in Jersey and you have never seen the cops looking to fuck someone up? As mentioned on the other thread, there are many towns right around me where DWB is the biggest crime you can commit. And it gets you pulled over immediately.

Fighting

No I never did. I have lived here less then a year and the cops around here don’t fuck with me at all. My nieghborhood is pretty diverse too. Not as diverse as NYC but it is multi-cultural. The pull a lot of people over for DWI and I support that. In fact about 75% of the arrests in my town are for DWI and vandalism by kids.

I am pretty mature and I don’t look for trouble, especially from the police. However, I am sure if I folks are looking to prove how tough they are, most pd’s will be more then happy to show you. That’s my point. If you act respectful to the police they give it. If you act like a punk, you shouldn’t expect courtesy in return.

So no I have never seen the cops in my town beat anyone up in the past year.

Hey I have no problem with DWI arrests. I even got one myself. But they do their job, of course, and save lives doing it.m

However, in NJ at least, there are several police forces that are so racist it is ridiculous. I don’t want to mention any names, but even my own town is like this. If you are white, like I am, you will never even realize this goes on. But it does.

As for respect, I learned a lesson a long time ago that is proven true time and again. I don’t like the attitude that many cops have; kind of a better than you complex. I understand, however, that they deal with the crappiest people in the world, so I guess I would be irritable too. However, if you are nice to them, and they are dicks, you are fucked. If you are nice and they are cordial back, then its ok. They have so much more power than I do at any point that it simply isnt worth pissing them off.[/quote]

I’m a cop in NJ. I’d love to know what town you live in. Are there a few racist cops, I’m sure there are. Entire agencies being racist? Come on.
I just participated in mandatory racial profiling training for all NJ law enforcement officers. While it is important that officers need to understand that stopping someone based SOLELY on their race is wrong, race may play a part in your decision to stop someone. In NJ, this issue has become so politicized, that race cannot be ANY factor in your decision to stop someone.

Take for example, two middle eastern men videotaping the George Washington Bridge linking NY and NJ. The fact that they are middle eastern, according to the NJ AG’s Office, can play NO part in your decision to check them out. A little ridiculous? I think so. Lawyers and polititians are taking common sense out of law enforcement, and the citizens will ultimately pay by being victims.

[quote]slimjim wrote:
JD430 wrote:
Cyclo,

Not that I have to tell you, but dont take any of this personally. On that other thread, one of the geniuses that frequents
here actually posted “I dont even like cops”. Maybe its redundant, but lets replace that word cops with “asians” or “doctors” or “gays”. You an I both know that among certain circles, its still ok to hate an entire class of people simply because of what they do for a living. Often, it is the same crowd that prances around pretending to be tolerant and enlightened.

Hmmm I wonder who that genius could be? I believe the intent of that post on that thread was to say that I do believe cops have a hard job, and I made that statement in order to show that it was coming from the perspective of someone who isn’t a cop or even a fan of them.

I do have five friends who are cops, and I know about another ten personally. I have never asked them for a favor in regards to any legal circumstances because, believe it or not, with the exception of the incident posted above, I have never needed a favor and I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking someone to do something that could affect their job. If you feel I discriminate against cops please don’t develop a victim mentality and get held down by my opinions. Nice to compare me to a racist though, good for you.[/quote]

I dont remember if it was you or not, I just remember the comment because I have heard it so many times before. Trust me bro, you are not holding me down with your opinions. 1. You’re entitled to them and 2. if you read my other posts you’ll see that I’m not real concerned if people carry a grudge against my profession. Day to day, that doesnt effect me one bit.

I read some more of your stuff and I will give you the benefit of the doubt in a couple of bad experiences with cops. I never claimed the profession was perfect.

However, I absolutely stand by my
comparison of you to a racist, because the blanket statement “I dont even like cops” is the same goddamn thing as “I dont like (fill in the blank)”.

[quote]Sarge131 wrote:

Apparently, you only like cops when they DON’T do their jobs.[/quote]

ooooo, good one.

[quote]JD430 wrote:

However, I absolutely stand by my
comparison of you to a racist, because the blanket statement “I dont even like cops” is the same goddamn thing as “I dont like (fill in the blank)”. [/quote]

I am not saying I walk down the road whistling and thinking about much I don’t like people that are cops. However, if I have to talk to one, I will immediately feel uneasy. I know there will be a lot of the,“well if you’re doing nothing wrong, you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable at all,” but it really doesn’t matter. Sorry if I made it seem that I blatantly dislike cops as individuals and walk around with the assumption that every cop is an asshole, I do give people the benefit of the doubt and judge them based solely on our interactions, but yeah, if someone in uniform stops to talk to me I am not going to be comfortable.

gross over generalization is always a mistake…

there are cops out there that are complete cowards (I’ve seen this behavior with my own two eyes)…

there are cops out there that would take a bullet to save a total stranger’s child…

there are cops out there that are corrupt ego driven pieces of shit…

there are cops out there that do everything by the book…

all that being said…I am leary of the police…power corrupts and police have quite a bit of power…

[quote]Sarge131 wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
hedo wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
hedo wrote:
Cyco

Most of those who bashed you on the other thread bash everything and everyone. I wouldn’t take them too seriously.

Folks who don’t have a criminal intent support the police. I’m 42 and I have never seen the police cruise around looking for someone to fuck up just because theu felt like it. I have seen people get their ass kicked for acting like idiots, resisting arrest or trying to hide something.

Bottom line right or wrong, if you are getting arrested, resisting it is futile. It’s up to a court to decide. The cop is doing his job and if you are going to fuck with him then expect the same courtesy. If you don’t act like you are going to kick the cops ass, he will not usually kick yours.

I lived in NYC with the NYPD and never once had an issue with them despite numerous traffic stops and having a CCW permit. It’s about respect. I’ve been stopped by the NYPD in Brooklyn and Manhattan while carrying. Sinmply handed my id and permit over and then acted respectful. Never had a problem. I was also smart enough not to taunt them because I was phoony tough or an arrogant fool.

I saw that video from NO. I hate to see an old timer getting his ass kicked but I don’t know the entire story but I doubt if they just picked him out of a crowd to fuck up. If they did then it’s wrong but I seriosuly doubt that is what happened. More then likely he initiated it somehow.

You live in Jersey and you have never seen the cops looking to fuck someone up? As mentioned on the other thread, there are many towns right around me where DWB is the biggest crime you can commit. And it gets you pulled over immediately.

Fighting

No I never did. I have lived here less then a year and the cops around here don’t fuck with me at all. My nieghborhood is pretty diverse too. Not as diverse as NYC but it is multi-cultural. The pull a lot of people over for DWI and I support that. In fact about 75% of the arrests in my town are for DWI and vandalism by kids.

I am pretty mature and I don’t look for trouble, especially from the police. However, I am sure if I folks are looking to prove how tough they are, most pd’s will be more then happy to show you. That’s my point. If you act respectful to the police they give it. If you act like a punk, you shouldn’t expect courtesy in return.

So no I have never seen the cops in my town beat anyone up in the past year.

Hey I have no problem with DWI arrests. I even got one myself. But they do their job, of course, and save lives doing it.m

However, in NJ at least, there are several police forces that are so racist it is ridiculous. I don’t want to mention any names, but even my own town is like this. If you are white, like I am, you will never even realize this goes on. But it does.

As for respect, I learned a lesson a long time ago that is proven true time and again. I don’t like the attitude that many cops have; kind of a better than you complex. I understand, however, that they deal with the crappiest people in the world, so I guess I would be irritable too. However, if you are nice to them, and they are dicks, you are fucked. If you are nice and they are cordial back, then its ok. They have so much more power than I do at any point that it simply isnt worth pissing them off.

I’m a cop in NJ. I’d love to know what town you live in. Are there a few racist cops, I’m sure there are. Entire agencies being racist? Come on.
I just participated in mandatory racial profiling training for all NJ law enforcement officers. While it is important that officers need to understand that stopping someone based SOLELY on their race is wrong, race may play a part in your decision to stop someone. In NJ, this issue has become so politicized, that race cannot be ANY factor in your decision to stop someone.

Take for example, two middle eastern men videotaping the George Washington Bridge linking NY and NJ. The fact that they are middle eastern, according to the NJ AG’s Office, can play NO part in your decision to check them out. A little ridiculous? I think so. Lawyers and polititians are taking common sense out of law enforcement, and the citizens will ultimately pay by being victims.[/quote]

Listen I understand what you are saying, and profiling is a rough iddue to touch. If you’re from here, then you know how much trouble the stateys got in a couple years ago. I also remember talking to an older guy who ran one of the divisions (I really wish I could remember what he actually was, but he was a trooper) refer to blacks as “darkys” “spooks” and “niggers”. I remember walking away (this was at the store that I work at) and thinking, “Goddamn, that’s why these guys get in so much trouble”.

And the towns I am referring to are places where the departments are widely known to be racist…I don’t make the stuff up.

Here is something I thought I would share since we’re all talking about cops here. My dad is a state trooper in one of the south eastern states and he had to go to mississippi to help out when katrina came through. He told me of numerous times when he encountered racial profiling amongst the mississippi police force.

He and another state trooper from my state went over there and they had no jurisdiction if they were with mississippi officers. They would basically stop someone and it was up to the mississippi police officer to decide if they would get arrested/ticketed. He told me that every time they encountered someone who was black, that person would get either arrested or ticketed. The times that they stopped white people, they were let go, regardless of the situation. Even if they were intoxicated.

Obviously, the policemen that they were with were white. I asked him why he didn’t say anything and he told me that he couldn’t because like i said he had no jurisdiction and it was up to the mississippi officers to decide what happened.

Also, I know that officers aren’t allowed to hit civilians in certain places. I believe that the back of the head is one of those places(correct me if i’m wrong). The force that the NOPD used was way beyond what was necessary and called for regardless of what has happened there. A hard enough hit to the back of the head can cause brain damage or death because the bone in the back isn’t as thick as the cranium in the front.

Now i’m not cop bashing obviously because my dad is a state trooper. But i’m pretty sure that every police force is at least a little corrupt. Even if it’s just that a cop’s son could get out of a ticket when someone else can’t. And yes, that has happened to me.

[quote]DPH wrote:
gross over generalization is always a mistake…

there are cops out there that are complete cowards (I’ve seen this behavior with my own two eyes)…

there are cops out there that would take a bullet to save a total stranger’s child…

there are cops out there that are corrupt ego driven pieces of shit…

there are cops out there that do everything by the book…

all that being said…I am leary of the police…power corrupts and police have quite a bit of power…[/quote]

Well said.

Around here you’re more likely to get pulled over if you’re white, middle aged and in a nice car than you are to get pulled over or stopped for being black. Mostly because the police in this town are underpaid and undertrained and they do what they can to avoid anything like real trouble. Pulling over a car full of young thugs on the north end is likely to get you shot, especially if you’re a cop so they tend to go after the mini-van crowd for not wearing a seat belt or for going 5 over the speed limit. I figure though, you get what you pay for and what this city pays for is shit.

I’ve got friends who are State Troopers and I have a lot of respect for the job they do, I know it’s not something I’d want to do for a living. It’s a little hard for me to take the local cops seriously though when you call to report someone breaking into your neighbor’s garage and they won’t send a car out because “It’s too late” but the same department pulls over my wife because she drove half a block to the gas station without her seat belt on. I’m not using my experience with the local guys to paint all police with a broad brush, there are however, a limit set of personality types that opt for law enforcement. Many, maybe most, are people who really want to serve the public good and they work long thankless hours dealing with things that most of us would never want to experience. More than a few however, are just fucking pricks who get off on intimidating people, bullies.

Odd mix, altruistic dogooders and thug/bullies on power trips. The NOPD has a long history of stocking their pond with the bully types. Stereotypes exist for a reason and profiling works both ways.

Did anyone see the video of the cops pulling the guy from a burning car?

A good example of cops acting heroically.

I didn’t mind bashing the cops in NO for excess force and I want to praise the cops rescuing that poor bastard in a burning car.

Kudos to the boys in blue.