Foo - Why don't people like cops?

I'm pretty tired of hearing everyone badmouth cops all the time. Why is it that the people that are here to protect us (which they are doing every time one catches a murderer, stops a drunk driver, finds a missing person, etc, etc, etc) are always getting badmouthed because they aren't doing their job to YOUR standards? If you can do it so much better then why don't you get off your lazy ass, stop working that bull**** job helping nobody and do something to give back to the public, something to serve your community. I'm tired of hearing how crooked cops are, how self righteous they are, and how poorly they're doing their jobs. They are hit, kicked, punched, spit on, talked down to, and disrespected too much by criminals to have to take it from "upstanding" citizens like the ones that are constantly saying how bad they are at their jobs.

rant over.

after that rant, no one's going to tell you, 'cause they know you're not gonna listen to what they have to say.

Are you talking about the cops in Mauritania?

I think people don't like cops because cops have the power to seriously f u up. I work with cops every once in a while and you are right most of them are good people, very different then me, but good people none the less. And I've seen first hand the hell that cops can go through and would never ever want to have to deal with what they had to, in particular the brutality of murder.

Then again I don't often hear cops get bashed so much as they get pat on the back too.

Bad cops get publicity. Good cops - not so much.

Also, cops typically need to be intimidating - at least when they are in situations where they don't feel comfortable. That attitude sticks in some peoples' minds.

I'll listen for someone to raise a valid point but most are only bitter because they were caught doing something they shouldn't and they somehow blame the cop for it. My dad's been a cop for 24 years, step dad for 17 and mom was for 10. My dad found two heads on a shelf left there by a serial killer (Danny Rollings first two victims), my mom knew the third or fourth, and they have all been to hell and back for their jobs. Then as soon as anything is said about cops the reaction is that they are somehow doing something wrong and that most of them are corrupt.

Not the cops (or lack there of) in Mauritania. The only time I've ever heard of them doing anything here was when they had a shootout with some terrorist suspects. I'm talking America's cops. This is a carry over from the current red light thread. I just got on a rant.

i don't know. i have some have this sort of asinine cocky atitude towards me. and one old cop i met had a really weird sense of humor. i haven't really had any problems with them except one that may have lied about me going through a red (i'm not sure if he was right or not).

I like cops. They have a job to do and they do it. I try and tell them thank you when I can. I teach my boys to do the same.

I like cops. They make excellent BBQ....I think all the donuts add some special flavor or something.

I agree, I just ignore the bad mouthing of cops, since I figure it is usually malcontents doing the moaning. It is pretty easy for me since I have no friends or relatives that are law officers.

A cop in my area was pushed down the stairs in an apartment building recently in my area for asking to see someone's ID. Fortunately he wasn't hurt badly, and his partner was there to ensure the criminal was arrested... The guy did end up having a warrant already, and now has an additional charge on him.

I think cops have to have a certain attitude in order to establish control because of the people they tend to deal with for the majority of their job. In my experience (which is limited), if I have to deal with an officer, I treat him with respect immediately, and any gruff atitude I get initially disappears quickly when the officer sees that I am a cooperative individial.

I think an officer is trained (rightfully) to retain control of a situation, and the individuals that think that the officer is being a jerk to take control and starts giving attitude does nothing but ensure that the confrontational attitude continues. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy. "All cops are idiots, so I am going to treat them like idiots!" is an attitude that I truly think is going to ensure that any cop/citizen interaction is going to be tense. A genuine "Yes sir" and "No sir" response to questions will make the whole process run so much smoother... It will even sometimes turn a ticket into a warning.

I don't dislike them, they just make me nervous. And no, not always just because I'm doing something wrong... :innocent:

Cops are just people like the rest of us. I know some that lie, cheat and steal just like the rest of us. There's the "blue code" that hides a lot of this. Heck, I know of a spot behind a shopping centre where they take turns parking and taking 2-3 hour naps everyday. Or if you sneak up there late at night, you'll find them shagging someone's wife. They're no better or worse than any other group of people, meaning half of them are below average.

{edit**
It's the most noble job there is, next to teacher.
The few with poor attitudes make the rest look awful.


Example:
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/winder-ga/T1ERT1MRB6RVJ5J50
^^^
Many of the posters on that forum are LEO's.

The incumbent won by 78% btw. The challenger was backed by a for profit church, and largely perceived as being in the church's pocket.

A job that requires honesty, bravery and integrity, the need to be in all places, pleasing all law-abiding people, all of the time and, as far as the public are concerned, complete knowledge and understanding of the law.

It's always going to create some friction especially if "targetted policing" gets used more than old fashioned "community policing", i.e., the police become strangers in a uniform that may be there to arrest you.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/winder-ga/T1ERT1MRB6RVJ5J50
^^^
Many of the posters on that forum are LEO's.

The incumbent won by 78% btw. The challenger was backed by a for profit church, and largely perceived as being in the church's pocket.

Let's not forget the wonderful episode in dekalb county when the sherriff offed his competition.

I'm starting to wonder if GA politics is taking lessons from LA politics.

I work with cops everyday (I work the gate at a large apt. complex in a fairly craptastic neighborhood which features a Latino beer that has hosted it's fair share of shootings on one side and has a large selection of guys dressed as women type prostitutes on the other). The one that gave me attitude recently was a female detective that pushed her badge against her car window when I approached her car (she was parked in the driveway of the apt. complex trying to read the location map). She quickly changed her attitude though when I made it known that once I identified her as a cop I was there to be helpful, and showed her on my map where she wanted to go and gave her her own map to use.

The uniform patrols that work the property are great. We get along pretty well, and I even see them on my commute (they know I ride and know my route in their patrol area). Once they pulled a guy over that swerved in toward me (turned out the guy was DUI at 1:30 p.m., if they hadn't seen him messing with me they probably wouldn't have known).

The good cops are cool. The bad ones suck. Same as any other part of society except I'd rather have a cop watching my back then anyother segment of society.

Let's not forget the wonderful episode in dekalb county when the sherriff offed his competition.

I'm starting to wonder if GA politics is taking lessons from LA politics.

We do have a few real winners don't we?

Louisiana politics, or Los Angeles?

We do have a few real winners don't we?

Louisiana politics, or Los Angeles?

not too much difference, is there? but I meant Louisiana (should have been a lower case a....I can be kind of stupid some/most of the time.)

not too much difference, is there? but I meant Louisiana (should have been a lower case a....I can be kind of stupid some/most of the time.)

No, I was just trying to decide which was worse myself.

I don't have a problem with cops, but I used to when I was younger. But back then, I had a problem with anyone in a position of authority. I think it has something to do with the religion I was raised in and the corruption I found there. Soon I was finding corruption everywhere including the law and even in my own family. I had a serious problem with people telling me what to do or how to live my life.

People don't do that to me anymore (for the most part) and if it ever happens, then I have little patience for it. But I don't really have a problem with cops unless I'm doing something illegal. :p I understand that they have a job to do, and I usually don't give them a reason to bother me.

You can answer this question yourself, if you wish. Do something, anything, that will put you at the mercy of a random police officer.

Observe the rules of conduct while you are detained and DO NOT TELL THEM YOUR FOLKS ARE COPS.

You can be sure this will be a fair test and valid experiment. Let us know what happened.

I like cops. My sister is one.
Like anything else, a few bad apples give the whole bunch a sour rep...

Just like all other people in the world, there are good cops and bad cops. The difference is that most of the *******s in the world don't bother me and when they do I can fight back either physically or legally. If you value your freedom and physical well-being there isn't much you can do about an ******* cop.

The real resentment, I believe, comes from the fact that cops don't face the same consequences for bad behavior as the rest of us. That goes for little things like speeding and running red lights up to lying, stealing, extorting, and murdering.

I Don't have any issue with the uniformed street officers.....now the "undercover" narco/vice officers,THAT is another story. More than once I have seen them lie in Court to win a case,hijack personal property (Cash/Drugs) and abuse laws to get their Perp/win their case! Sorry if his offends anyone,jus tellin ya'll what I've seen over the years.

I don't have a problem with the officers here for the most part. I know a few of them. I do have a problem with the one who arrested two of my friends for cutting through the park on longboards. I also have a problem with the one who ran his car into my friend to tell him not to skate on the street.

You can answer this question yourself, if you wish. Do something, anything, that will put you at the mercy of a random police officer.

Observe the rules of conduct while you are detained and DO NOT TELL THEM YOUR FOLKS ARE COPS.

You can be sure this will be a fair test and valid experiment. Let us know what happened.

I was detained. I was 19 with a cooler full of beer in my car. I didn't drop that my parents were cops or that I was going in the military in less than a month. I walked away with an empty cooler (we had to pour them all out) and a citation and still didn't have hearts full of hate.

I'm glad to see in here that most don't hate cops. About 6 months back there was a thread that bashed cops pretty bad. I have no idea what it originated about so I'm not going looking for it. Just glad to see that it's not in the majority in this forum.

It really depends on the experiences people have had with cops on whether or not they like them or not.

For me, as a teenager I was constantly pulled over and harassed because of the car I drove, I was told I was either a drug dealer or thief to be able to afford it. The one time my life was in danger, it took them 45 minutes to show up, I was lucky to get a hold of a family member who got there in 10 minutes. With one friend, a cop flat out lied on the stand in court and judge did not do anything about it when it was proved the guy was lying.

http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Zodiac/zodiac-pig-pic.gif

I like cops, I like to think that that may have been my fall back profession if I wasn't doing what I am doing now.

My brother is a cop (LAPD). Several of our friends are in law enforcement (LAPD, LASD). Growing up in Los Angeles in the 70s and 80s, I lived in an area patrolled by Rampart Division. I remember the cops pulling up to us, asking us if we were behaving ourselves and getting home before dark. I remember them asking us if we were doing good in school. Most importantly, I remember the cops handing out tickets to the Dodger games. Yeah, I like LEOs.

Because they work for the Department of Revenue (check your local state statutes), and 99% of all encounters with them, is going to drain some FRN's from your pocket, even though there's no damaged person or property, but hey, that's "equity law" for you.

On the other hand, I love and respect them when they're doing work on the Constitutional side of the "common law".

Aaaaah, he said "common law". Terrorist!!!

I don't like cops because they've been allowed an insane amount of power with minimal checks. Innocent people have been forced to suffer at the hands of cops and when or if that mistake is brought to light, the cops rarely suffer any consequenses. That's b.s.

http://www.velonews.com/article/73139

http://www.velonews.com/article/73139

That is an example of an unfortunate accident brought on by an unreasonably long shift. There was no malicious intent by the officer.

That is an example of an unfortunate accident brought on by an unreasonably long shift. There was no malicious intent by the officer.

I've read up on this accident a little bit. What he did after was pretty bad, and when the rest of his posse showed up, they did there best to shield him from any suspicion of wrong doing.

Some criminals who have clean records become law enforcement officers because it gives them a chance to enhance their lives of crime. Some well-meaning, good people become LEOs for good reasons, but lose their faith in humanity after seeing so much bad in people, and this can manifest itself it numerous negative ways. Some people, good or bad, cannot handle authority very well, and this can manifest itself in several types of negative behaviour.

Virtually all newer LEOs, whether basically good or bad people, go through phases of adjustment to their authority. A certain number of them quit, fearful of this new-found authority. The rest go through varying periods of time, seeking to balance authority with compassion, friendliness with caution, power with magnanimity. Some never achieve balance, and some of these really do not try, especially if they are really criminals or just jerks. Jerks usually do not understand what makes a person a jerk; they are what they are, and consider it a natural state of being. Others were not always jerks, and just do not care what they have become.

I have only touched on some major points, that I have observed over time, or experienced myself. I hope I am one of the good cops, but of course, my point of view is a bit prejudiced. I thought of becoming an EMT when I was a kid, or getting into the medical field; I watched both "Emergency" and "Adam 12" with equal interest, but thought I wasn't tough enough to be a police officer. Well, when I became a young adult, a large local PD was hiring, and clearly indicated they wanted educated, professional types, who wanted to serve their communities, and being tough was not the main priority. The police academy paid its cadets during training, whereas I would have to pay to get most other types of professional training. I gave it a try, and after much struggle, still wear a badge almost 25 years later.

Some people hate me on sight, and I have learned to live with that. Some fear me on sight, but do not hate me, and while I wish they could feel more comfortable with my presence, I cannot blame them if their fear is based on prior experience, or hearing of others' experiences. I have found, that when circumstances allow a bit of communication, most people like me, and generally feel positive about police presence.

OK, time to close this book chapter, er, I mean rambling. Y'all ride safe out there. :)

Disclaimer: I do not work for Bellaire PD, but for a large neighboring PD.

"**** tha police comin straight from the underground
A young ***** got it bad 'cause I'm brown
I'm not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority"


"Cops give a damn about a negro pull the trigger kill a ***** he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares one less hungry mouth on the welfare"

cops in chicago act like dicks even to little kids as a kid i had nothing but bad experiences and grew up resenting cops. the cops around here arent bad i have a love hate relationship with them but the sentiment is still the same.

It really depends on the experiences people have had with cops on whether or not they like them or not.

For me, as a teenager I was constantly pulled over and harassed because of the car I drove, I was told I was either a drug dealer or thief to be able to afford it. The one time my life was in danger, it took them 45 minutes to show up, I was lucky to get a hold of a family member who got there in 10 minutes. With one friend, a cop flat out lied on the stand in court and judge did not do anything about it when it was proved the guy was lying.

that happened to me a lot even on a bike because it was a lowrider, im just glad one of those pricks got his brain airated a winter ago

I like cops. Sure, some of them are dicks, but then that's true of every occupation. I learned a long time ago (the hard way), that if you treat a cop with respect, he'll generally treat you with respect. I've avoided speeding tickets because I was polite and respectful and honest with the officer that pulled me over.

The only time I've ever avoided a speeding ticket was when I was an ass and actually swore, well, not at the officer, but in my dealings with him. :twitchy:

The simple answer is that cops rarely if ever directly and personally help people. I'm not saying they do anything wrong and I'm not saying what they do does not help people. But it is rare when this is direct and one on one. You don't call the police when your cat is stuck in a tree, or when your kid is in a similar situation after going to help the cat. Police do not pull people out of burning buildings or give CPR to someone who would have died. This is NOT to say they wouldn't if they were first responders, they would, they are trained. But they are not the ones called. Most often what they do is deal with those who break the rules. If it is someone we all want off the street it is rarely a situation where we are directly involved. If it is a ticket then likely one of is directly and negatively involved.

I've had more good than bad contact with police. But enough to run into a couple of real jerks and jerks with power are scarry.

I've found that generally speaking, it's give respect, get respect. I've never had a problem with police because I do respect them (unless one gives me reason not to, and that's been really very rare). Do I like them? Not always, but that's a different story, but I certainly respect them as a group- frankly, I think they have one of the worst jobs in the world. Disclaimer- my brother's a retired state cop.

Cops rarely come when you need help, usually after you needed it.

I think it's a holdover from the sixties.

Unfortunately, in the cities like DC they need a massive infusion of police power to clamp down on the thugs and make the neighborhoods safe for working people to live in and go out at night, etc. That's only slowly becoming politically feasible as the communities realize they need the police as opposed to objecting to their presence, which used to come up more frequently. (DC also need a massive reworking of the public schools, unlikely to happen but at least Mayor Fenty is giving it a go.)

There a quote variously attributed to Orwell, or perhaps Churchill that goes:

"Men sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

The fact that some cops are corrupt doesn't mean much to me. Some of every group are corrupt.

I remember reading an interview with some newsworthy person, years ago, though I cannot recall the name, and the subject of corrupt police came up. The interviewee said something to the effect that the most corrupt cop in his city would still pull his gun and run into an alley to pursue the thug who just knocked you in the head, and stole your wallet.

Well, I will not agree 100%; there are police officers who just might not do that, but there is much truth to that statement.

(DC also need a massive reworking of the public schools, unlikely to happen but at least Mayor Fenty is giving it a go.)

Caught that on TV a couple nights ago. The woman he gave that task is really kicking a** and taking names, firing hundreds and closing down some schools. Good for her. And Fenty.


[/QUOTE]The fact that some cops are corrupt doesn't mean much to me. Some of every group are corrupt.[/QUOTE]

I don't know. It's a sad thing to disillusion formerly supportive ordinary citizens, like myself.

I know I sure don't feel the same after watching a guy getting tased out front of my house one night. The young bucks seemed to take a little too much delight in seeing what a taser would do, and the guy went off in an ambulance. That's left me with an undefined anger.

Cops are OK. It's the cop wanna-be's that are a pain. Likewise, people who over-exaggerate their authority in a given situation are a pain.
I recently had a boss - a high school principal - who went around trying to act like a cop. Everyone hated him.

Because most of them think theyre gods? EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE Ive known that has become a Police Officer has also become an arrogant, cocky, piece of crap! Not saying that they all are, but I can say that 75% of the Police Ive ever dealt with were. My own brother became a cop and guess what? POS! as soon as he got on the job, mister "I AM GOD!" Tried to give me a ticket once while I was in front of a K-Mart waiting for my wife to come out! Not a friendly,"move you car so I dont have to give you a ticket" He actually pulled up and yelled at me in front of my kids to move my f'n car before he gave me a ticket! My own f'n brother! Thought he was joking until his partner got out to tell me that he wasnt! So I made it simple, "Give me the ticket but when you come over for a visit Im going to beat you into the f'n ground in front of your wife and kids!" needless to say I didnt get a ticket, a really ugly stare but no ticket. He decided not to talk to me till he died of cancer recently, pretty stupid huh? :(

Cops are like any other group of people. You'll see some real heros, and you'll see some real a-holes. I've dealth with them both. Problem is, when you combine a-hole with the authority of the state you run into real problems. It makes the news. People, generally, are inclined to dislike abused authority. That's why a lot of people hate cops.

That was quite a rant. You got issues, buddy.

What's not to like?

http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/movies/images/reno911-lennon-interview-1.jpg