# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942 "2014-10-10T07:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 561
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11202 "2017-08-25T20:36:46Z")
There are cops in jail for all those things. And it’s not about waiting for an election, it’s about participating in them when they happen. After the stuff in Ferguson, one thing that came out was that turnout in the previous election there had been something like 10%. Even getting that up to the frankly pathetic average of 40-50% (depending on whether there’s a Presidential election happening as well) would change things massively. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11203 "2017-08-25T20:46:14Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > There are cops in jail for all those things. And there are cops wearing a badge after doing these things too. > [@](#): > > And it’s not about waiting for an election, it’s about participating in them when they happen. After the stuff in Ferguson, one thing that came out was that turnout in the previous election there had been something like 10%. Even getting that up to the frankly pathetic average of 40-50% (depending on whether there’s a Presidential election happening as well) would change things massively. While I fully agree that voter turnout is quite important, I would like to see why voter turnout is on the low side. With all the attempts at voter suppression that the GOP implements, I cannot fault a community for having low turnout, when the govt is doing its damned best to keep them from making their voice heard at the poll. Between cutting early voting hours, making new voter ID demands, closing down precinct and removing machines which increases lines, and all the other tricks that they get up to, I find it hard to blame the victims in the situation. Even without deliberate suppression, poor people do have a harder time voting than the wealthy. They may not have a car to drive to the polls before or after work, and have to figure out how to fit it into the bus schedule. They may not have an employer who allows them to leave work to vote. When I closed for election day last year, many of my employees talked about how previous employers wouldn’t give them time to vote, even though that is illegal. They may have more pressing concerns at home, kid failing out of school, an ailing parent to care for, any number of things that more well off people just take for granted aren’t obstacles to voting. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11204 "2017-08-26T01:20:14Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > That’s what you’re saying by not holding municipal employees to performance standards. …performance standards are only as good as the metrics used to determine those standards. “Number of speeding tickets issued in a day” is a bad metric. “Arrests made in a week” is a bad metric. Why are they bad? Because in an ideal world we wouldn’t be issuing tickets because people wouldn’t be speeding. Because in an ideal world we wouldn’t be arresting people because there wouldn’t be anyone breaking the law. If there aren’t enough speeding cars for municipal employees to meet their performance standards: then the only way to meet those standards is to find a way to “increase the amount of speeding cars.” Only a complete moron would support performance standards that are dependent on maintaining a set standard of bad behavior. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11205 "2017-08-26T18:40:22Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > So, you are fine with performance standards that include raping women who call for help, beating men for sitting on their mother’s porches, planting evidence, and murdering? Looks like you got it figured out. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11206 "2017-08-26T19:14:07Z")
For SteveG1 & k9bfriender, this is their idea of LE doing their job: > **[ItemFix - Social Video Factory](https://www.itemfix.com/?r=ll)** > > Social Video Factory ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11207 "2017-08-26T19:50:15Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > For SteveG1 & k9bfriender, this is their idea of LE doing their job: > > [ItemFix - Social Video Factory](https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=02e_1392235707) Why do you insist that cops are not capable of doing their job without raping women, planting evidence, beating men for sitting on their mother’s porch, or murdering? I think that the cops should be perfectly capable of performing their duty of policing the community and keeping it safe without resorting to these sorts of activities. Why do you think so poorly of the police that you think that they need to commit crimes in order to do their jobs? ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11208 "2017-08-26T20:21:08Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Why do you insist that cops are not capable of doing their job without raping women, planting evidence, beating men for sitting on their mother’s porch, or murdering? Why do you insist that cops as a whole are doing all those things on a regular basis when there’s nearly 1,000,000 who go out & do their job w/o incident? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11209 "2017-08-26T20:37:30Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > Why do you insist that cops as a whole are doing all those things on a regular basis when there’s nearly 1,000,000 who go out & do their job w/o incident? I have never made that instance. I have made the insistence that there are cops who are doing these things, as well as cops who cover for cops who do these things, as well as prosecutors who do not prosecute as zealously as if it were not a cop under question, and that that is not good for community relations. Why do you insist on lying about what I have said? ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11210 "2017-08-27T01:47:01Z")
Ahhh… the Onion: [Cop Explains How It Feels To Live Every Day In Fear Someone Might Record You Brutalizing A Civilian](http://www.onionstudios.com/videos/cop-explains-how-it-feels-to-live-every-day-in-fear-someone-might-record-you-brutalizing-a-civilian-7039) ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11211 "2017-08-27T03:50:11Z")
[Oklahoma police chief outed as owner of racist website and white supremacist record label](https://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/busted-oklahoma-police-chief-outed-as-owner-of-racist-website-and-white-supremacist-record-label/) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11212 "2017-08-28T02:39:10Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > [Oklahoma police chief outed as owner of racist website and white supremacist record label](https://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/busted-oklahoma-police-chief-outed-as-owner-of-racist-website-and-white-supremacist-record-label/) You can’t be mad at the racist Nazi fuck, that’s bigoted :smack: ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11213 "2017-08-28T02:45:16Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I have never made that instance. > > I have made the insistence that there are cops who are doing these things, as well as cops who cover for cops who do these things, as well as prosecutors who do not prosecute as zealously as if it were not a cop under question, and that that is not good for community relations. > > Why do you insist on lying about what I have said? I suspect he is fucking dirty too. That would be the simplest explanation and according to Occam’s Razor … ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11214 "2017-08-28T14:02:00Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > You can’t be mad at the racist Nazi fuck, that’s bigoted :smack: No, you fucking moron, you can’t be mad at _any other cop_ just because this one is a Nazi fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11215 "2017-08-28T16:48:14Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > No, you fucking moron, you can’t be mad at _any other cop_ just because this one is a Nazi fuck. Can I be mad at other cops who help the Nazi cop do bad things or cops who help the Nazi cop cover up doing bad things? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11216 "2017-08-28T19:59:47Z")
Or the cops that serve under him willingly after the news came out? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11217 "2017-08-29T01:34:19Z")
Be mad at specific individuals for things they actually did to help him? Yes. Be mad at cops who got on with their job - that is, served him - no. Be mad at any other cop who may or may not have had any connection to this - heck no. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11218 "2017-08-29T02:44:20Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Be mad at specific individuals for things they actually did to help him? Yes. Be mad at cops who got on with their job - that is, served him - no. Be mad at any other cop who may or may not have had any connection to this - heck no. As long as they turn the other way and pretend that their boss isn’t what he is, they are “goodcops”, right? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11219 "2017-08-29T06:08:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As long as they turn the other way and pretend that their boss isn’t what he is, they are “goodcops”, right? As long as they do their job properly, they are good cops. That job doesn’t include judging their boss’s hobbies. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11220 "2017-08-29T06:19:21Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > As long as they do their job properly, they are good cops. That job doesn’t include judging their boss’s hobbies. Um, you think that a local police chief promoting neo-Nazi sentiments and selling neo-Nazi merchandise is just a “hobby” with no implications for the chief’s qualifications to do his job? You think having a white supremacist and neo-Nazi as a police chief (of a town that’s [over a quarter nonwhite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert,_Oklahoma#Demographics), by the way) is something that the cops serving under him should just ignore? The rapidity with which a lot of modern conservatives rush to normalize and trivialize levels of bigotry and hatred **all the way up to actual literal Nazi** still manages to amaze me sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942/11221 "2017-08-29T07:36:52Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Um, you think that a local police chief promoting neo-Nazi sentiments and selling neo-Nazi merchandise is just a “hobby” with no implications for the chief’s qualifications to do his job? I think whether or not he should keep his job should be determined solely on how he does his job. > [@](#): > > You think having a white supremacist and neo-Nazi as a police chief (of a town that’s [over a quarter nonwhite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colbert,_Oklahoma#Demographics), by the way) is something that the cops serving under him should just ignore? Maybe not ignore, maybe they should look more carefully to see if he violates any relevant laws than they would with other people. > [@](#): > > The rapidity with which a lot of modern conservatives rush to normalize and trivialize levels of bigotry and hatred **all the way up to actual literal Nazi** still manages to amaze me sometimes. We probably learned it from the left trivialising the bigotry and hatred coming from the likes of BLM, OWS, the misogynistic, anti-semitic union thugs out there, and many other groups. Anyway, the threat of Nazism in this day and age _is_ trivial. It’s laughable, and should be treated as such. Such threat as exists from the right is mostly to the poor, and partly to the LGBTQetc community. That needs to be addressed and sorted out, but when there’s constant straw-manning calling who isn’t a leftist in a specific way a Nazi, that won’t happen. Your hobbies shouldn’t affect your employability. That should include what you smoke, who you have sex with, or what dodgy music you listen to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=560) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread/700942.md?page=562)