Why Cops are ...

[RussMurco]

Sorry to reignite an old thread, I saw it a while back and didn't comment the first time around but I wanted to chime in...

I get it, as a former Marine who looked at becoming a cop many moons ago, and I know they have to deal with scattered bits of human debris every day.
I also know that the departments are constantly having to defend their actions and positions, that news reporters (and lawyers) are always looking to blow-up any minor mistakes, and the weight of that rests mostly on the good cops trying to do a job under less than ideal circumstances. Throw in the general attitude and lack of self-respect many people display these days and I thank God I didn't become a cop.

My issues aren't with the cops out on the streets, it's their bosses! It seems that the police have become far more militarized over the last 20 years. More military uniforms, weapons, tactics, and SWAT teams being used more and more. It used to be SWAT teams were rarely used but many forces these days have platoons of SWAT officers and they are regularly used for raids for everything from weed to card games (yes, local card games, look it up). These SWAT teams are also starting to use more and more military-style vehicles as well, I won't even touch on the DHS getting 2,700 armored personnel carriers to go with their 2.7 billion hollow-tip bullets.

A dear friend's husband was killed in a SWAT raid, they had the wrong house! Imagine sitting in your living room, relaxing, winding down for bed time and having a stream of heavily armed men bust through your door, shooting your dogs, yelling commands, demanding you not resist. He did, and rightfully so, as they had no business in his home. They shot him as he demanded to see their search warrant. It happens more and more every year and it will continue until we take the "profit motives" out of policing.

By "profit motive" I speak of "civil asset forfetures" that more and more localitlies, and the feds, rely on for revenue. You can be pulled-over and have your vehicle seized even if you haven't broken any laws and aren't charged with anything!!! Just try and fight a government hungry for the money your car will bring! I was talking to a local sheriff when the subject of guns came up and he proceeded to show me his carry weapon, a Dan Wesson Valor 45. I was stunned that he was carrying an $1800 duty pistol and when I asked about it he replied, "Gotta do something with all that dope money!" before chuckling out the door and hopping in his brand new SRT8 Dodge Charger police car - one of 6 in a town with 7,000 residents.

This is where the street cop does play a part, when they allow themselves to become collection agents for the mayors, or govenors, or whomever.
The general public has noticed all of this too and I think the general attitude towards police in general has degraded even among law-abiders like myself. I don't like seeing police in spec-ops tactical gear when they are assigned traffic duty, I don't care for siezure tactics being used to fund greedy politicians, I don't care for the more regular use of cameras and drones being used to record our every move, and I don't care for assault teams going after people for card games.

Last year there were 18,000 laws passed among federal, state, and local governments. It's getting to where the police can't keep up with what's legal and what's not so how the heck can we keep up? We are becoming a police state and I'm not terribly comfortable with that. Yes, I've voiced these concerns to my police friends over the years and 2 of the 6 have retired the badge because of the same concerns.

[Sieg]

Russ - I'm with you page for page.

"it's their bosses!" and their bosses and the bosses above them and on up the line.

[J-440]

Cops, soldiers, firefighters, and ER personnel should start at an average of $100,000 a year. The salaries are BS for what they do. Athletes and morons on TV that memorize scripts get paid millions for what? Hitting a ball with a crooked stick and then walking after it? Man the world is screwed up. I'll buy a cop a beer and a steak anytime. If the world lost its law enforcement there would be total chaos. If we lost our athletes and actors, not a dam thing would happen. God bless you guys and keep fighting the good fight. We got your backs.

[Todd in vancouver]

I agree with a lot of what has been said through this thread. What doesn't help their image besides the one off news stories regarding some of the obscure tarnishing incidents that pop up are stories like this;

http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/are-police-...otas-1.1129762

The damage from this story is more about how most can relate to something like this because it has happened to most of us.

[RussMurco]

[Sieg]

Our local broken system that is consistently asking for more more more and delivering less and less............more bureaucratic policy and procedure = less public safety and more corruption.

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news...-unit.html.csp

FWIW I've had a 25+ year association with Pete Kerns.

[Tony_SS]

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

[garickman]

Originally Posted by Ravenworks

WHEN THIS:




BECAME THIS, THAT'S WHEN;

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by Tony_SS

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

Biting my tongue......bleeding now.......you owe me!

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by Tony_SS

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

Surely you cannot be serious with that.