Originally Posted by
KonAaron Snake
I haven't been to LA, but it's been pretty uniform where I've lived - police are typically poorly educated and on the scene judges for complicated issues. They aren't lawyers...many aren't college grads. They won't be held accountable for being wrong most of the time and they can't be - we're telling them to act as on scene arbitrators for legal issues they aren't trained to understand. You get through the encounter and appeal afterwards. Bright, educated people generally would never want that job - it's difficult, dangerous and dirty. You're dealing with the pond scum of humanity most of the time and you aren't getting the best and brightest. Mistakes are to be expected.
This is silly. First, here in the NE anyway, most cops have at least 60 credits. Second, they have to score high enough on the civil service test to get hired in a highly competitive process. These are good paying, stable jobs Are most cops geniuses, of course not, but we are not talking morons either. And before enforcing the law, it is the cops job to keep the peace. Which is why they have to do a lot of quick n dirty arbitration.