# Are the police a separate caste system then the general population and is that acceptable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 9, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306 "2014-03-09T23:15:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306/61 "2014-03-12T06:46:43Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > It’s called professional courtesy. It tends to be utilized more by newer/younger officers than veterans. Embarrassing to admit, but when I first got on the job in '82 I must have badged my way out of a dozen tickets. it’s been well over 20 years since I last did it. After some time on the job maturity solidifies and professional ethics dictates that one must be judged at a higher standard and obey traffic laws in the same manner one would enforce on others. I routinely point out to new officers than it is not an acceptable practice, and I get pissed when I pinch a driver who tins me. I’m glad to hear that. Good on ya. > [@YoungKusher](#): > > No, this person did not make it sound like that at all… They simply expressed their distaste for policeman by highlighting a fairly accurate quality they have. I’ve rarely seen a cop exhibiting “class” on any episode of _Cops_ or in real life. It’s simply not a job requirement. You would probably find that the aggressive forceful cop, who is an asshole, achieves better results than the polite classy cop, who entertains the perp’s bullshit. Well _of course_ Cops is going to show that kind of shit. A thrill-seeking audience doesn’t tune in to watch sensible, mature people acting responsibly. Out of concern for a fellow human being, I beseech you to not watch so-called reality TV–it eats your brains and leaves its shit in its place. So…Please? But my real life experience has been the polar opposite of what you claim yours is. In two cases where violence against the perps would have been understandable and even natural in other circumstances, the cops _succeeded_ (key word there) by being calm and level-headed. They didn’t entertain their bullshit; they just didn’t let it affect them. It hasn’t always been like that, but from what I’ve seen, “class”\* is\* a job requirement now for most police forces because they realize that their job goes easier and smoother when they have our respect. That’s not to say there aren’t a few bad apples, but there are enough cases in the news of cops being prosecuted for going over the line to demonstrate that police forces won’t put up with it. I suspect that when people express a general dislike of cops, they’re exhibiting a personal bias that distorts the actual facts, or they’re forming their opinions from isolated stories in the media. The OP is a good example of that. ---
**Author:** ![YoungKusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3e96dc/32.png) [@YoungKusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoungKusher)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306/62 "2014-03-12T18:06:31Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > Well _of course_ Cops is going to show that kind of shit. A thrill-seeking audience doesn’t tune in to watch sensible, mature people acting responsibly. Out of concern for a fellow human being, I beseech you to not watch so-called reality TV–it eats your brains and leaves its shit in its place. So…Please? Just providing an example where cops regularly show a complete lack of class. I don’t need your advice or criticism on what television shows I may have watched in the past either… lol > [@](#): > > But my real life experience has been the polar opposite of what you claim yours is. In two cases where violence against the perps would have been understandable and even natural in other circumstances, the cops _succeeded_ (key word there) by being calm and level-headed. They didn’t entertain their bullshit; they just didn’t let it affect them. It hasn’t always been like that, but from what I’ve seen, “class”\* is\* a job requirement now for most police forces because they realize that their job goes easier and smoother when they have our respect. Let me say this first, someone’s opinion on the police’s behavior is entirely arbitrary. You have your experiences. I have mine. I don’t know what you mean by “have _our_ respect,” but it’s a pretty meaningless observation. Respecting a police officer isn’t going to stop them from being an asshole. Class is not a job requirement for a cop. To say it is, is simply entertaining some sort of delusion. Regardless of the quality of the show _Cops_, it proves quite well that your opinion is a load of shit. No offense, there are many undeniably classy cops out there, but it is under no circumstances a requirement… > [@](#): > > That’s not to say there aren’t a few bad apples, but there are enough cases in the news of cops being prosecuted for going over the line to demonstrate that police forces won’t put up with it. I suspect that when people express a general dislike of cops, they’re exhibiting a personal bias that distorts the actual facts, or they’re forming their opinions from isolated stories in the media. The OP is a good example of that. A cop being prosecuted and a cop being convicted are two entirely different things. Many of the cops you see on the news are acquitted. I suspect that when people express a general like of cops, they’re exhibiting a personal bias that distorts the actual facts, or they’re forming their opinions from isolated stories in the media. Listen, obviously they’re are good and bad cops. They’re all human. Just don’t pretend that cops can be characterized as generally classy. That’s nonsensical. I wouldn’t say that electricians are generally classy, even though all of them I have met have been nice. I would bet money that asshole patrolmen are better at their jobs than classy patrolmen. Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306/63 "2014-03-12T19:57:06Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > :dubious: > > Nothing was obvious. You made a statement of absolutes, and then strengthened it by posting how you would lie by omission to get on a jury to insure a conviction, ignoring anything else except your agenda. I would not assume in every case that the police are lying. I would presume it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306/64 "2014-03-12T22:13:05Z")
> [@Melchior](#): > > I would not assume in every case that the police are lying. I would presume it. He didn’t say you would “assume” it. Why do you assume he meant “assume” rather than “presume”? If you just wanted to show you know the difference between “presume” and “assume” there are other ways to do so. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306/65 "2014-03-13T00:43:34Z")
Police officers often get away with things that normal citizens would be jailed for. This is what the public wants. We are the ones on the juries, we are the ones who acquit police officers who commit murder, we are the ones who defend their violent behaviors. The [Kelly Thomas murder trial](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713074) is just one of many hundreds of examples. The American public condones their abuses of power. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-police-a-separate-caste-system-then-the-general-population-and-is-that-acceptable/683306.md?page=3)