Seriously. I’ve been wanting to say this for a long, long time. Most of the time, cops are just doing their job. Sure, there are assholes in the force - they’re humans, not robots, and there’s assholes in every position.
But we live in a country where it’s taken for granted that corrupt cops damage society and something needs to be done about them. Try living in a country where it’s taken for granted that cops will be corrupt. Where every time you have to call the cops for anything you better have something to slip them. Where whether you committed a rape or not the cops will beat the shit out of you until you confess. Where, if you’re even moderately wealthy, you can pay your way out of any crime.
And I especially roll my eyes at all of the people who think we should all just defend ourselves. Tell your granny that.
If any one thing makes me feel like a furriner sometimes it’s that Americans too often just don’t realize how good they’ve got it.
In threads that others are looking for information I try my best to provide some. In threads where people are just bitching and complaining I tend to stay out and just let them blow off steam.
I retired as command staff in a large metropolitan sheriff’s office. I currently teach criminal justice, law and sociology at a university. I’m widely published in a number of related areas. I usually glance in when some question of law or the performance of criminal justice people is mentioned. I approach it as many do. If I have information that it appears the posters would care to know, I’ll offer it. I’ll also answer questions that are asked of me. I will not, however, get into an argument over this stuff. Many times, posters don’t really want opposing views, no matter how factual. It’s kinda like my granny used to say, sometimes it is like trying to teach a pig to sing…it doesn’t really do any good and it pisses the pig off. It’s not so important to me to be right or to clarify an issue that I am going to argue about anything with anyone here.
I’m not a cop but I’m earning my bachelors degree in Law and Justice (graduating in the fall). It’s the same degree that current or prospective cops get, but I plan to work as a community corrections officer (which is essentially a probation/parole officer).
Since I began studying this subject, I’m perhaps more critical of cops than I used to be. My professors are current and former cops, prosecuting attorneys, and prison workers, and they tend to be just as critical of cops and the criminal justice system in general (the two of which cannot be separated completely).
I do not think this board is one-sided on the issue at all. Any good cop would expect to be questioned because the amount of power they hold over the average citizen demands a high level of oversight if there is to be any degree of justice. I could cite countless studies showing that cops lie, cops regularly act upon unfounded assumptions, cops have a high incidence of domestic violence, etc, etc, etc. While this is not always the case, the good ones realize that it all-too-often is. I think it’s a combination of some cops being attracted to the position because they desire power for its own sake, and a culture and work environment where that type of attitude flourishes.
I have a lot of respect for good cops, and a lot of contempt for bad ones.
I always get a kick out of people who bitch about cops who set up speed traps or hand out moving violations. They always say something to the effect of: “They should be out there stopping real crime, not writting me a ticket!!”
Do these people really think a cop’s thinking process is: “Well let’s see, there’s a young lady being assulted on the corner of fith and main or I can go hand out speeding tickets. Hmm, I think I’ll go hand out speeding tickets.”