# How much, if at all, do you trust the police where you live? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676 "2013-12-18T21:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/81 "2013-12-20T18:03:31Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Most are good, but if it is ever a cop’s word against yours, they will lie every time. My wife was involved in a minor accident (caused by the other driver). The cop showed up 25 minutes after the accident-and his report showed my wife as the guilty party. That did it for me, I won’t ever give a dime to a police charity. I ran into this once. It was at a time when our neighborhood was in transition and wild and wooly. There was the party from hell in the house across from us which moved out into the street. Punches were being thrown. I called the police as I was afraid someone was going to get hurt. Then I turned on the scanner. I listened as the police scoured the east section of our street. We live on West Street. By the time they got here the party had dispersed. They knocked on our door and told us they had been everywhere and there was no sign of a party. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/82 "2013-12-20T19:28:18Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What I am saying is that the oncoming driver was going over 45 MPH in a posted school zone (20 MPH limit). There was no way that my wife was at fault. BTW, the other drive committed insurance fraud. Was the certification on your radar gun up to date? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/83 "2013-12-20T20:03:23Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/84 "2013-12-20T20:12:20Z")
I have no reason to mistrust any police in my neighborhood. But I’m open to the possibility of changing that assessment in the future. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/85 "2013-12-20T22:24:25Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I guess that depends on your state. Within the last few years we had a strong open records act in place. If it is evidence in an open case and the prosecutor thinks it could be prejudicial to be released, it still may have to go in front of a judge. > > I understand your point about reporters showing up at the scene. But quite frankly I don’t think it’s as big an issue as you are making it to be. We have had our encrypted system for less than a year. In the 15 years prior to that I saw reporters on the scene maybe 3 times. And I don’t exactly work in the sticks. Well I wish I worked where you work, because there \*are \*known areas and agencies that \*do \*have a open policy, and it works! I am glad to hear that is the case where you are. I work in DC. There is more than a little Federal Paranoia leaking into the local authorities. Hell we’ve just learned that the DC Fire Dept is going to go full encrypted. Because, you know, accidents, fires and other emergencies are important to keep secret. And as far as showing up on scenes goes, the biggest arguement I have is not knowing when to show up but rather when not to show up. I listen to scanner traffic for any indication there is that I don’t need to go to a scene. Lack of information drives me to have to go to places. The short version of a run-in I had with MPD a few years ago was because the info my station had was that I was on the scene of a 4 yr old shot by a robber. It turned out later it was an adult male suicide. That was after I was threatened with arrest for being there with a camera (outside the police line). Had I been able to determine it was a suicide early I never would have gone there. Thanks for the insightful reponses! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/86 "2013-12-20T22:49:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Was the certification on your radar gun up to date? No. I used a mathematical tool called “division”. It is “Distance” divided by “time” equals “velocity”. Look it up (it is in most mathematics texts). You may find it useful! ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/87 "2013-12-20T23:09:47Z")
I have had good relations with the Portland Police on the few occasions in which I’ve interacted with them. However, I’m not sure I’m ready to completely trust them in general until they [stop](http://www.portlandcopwatch.org/perezshooting.html) [shooting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendra_James) [unarmed people in the back](http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/06/aaron_campbell_wasnt_an_immedi.html) or [beating them to death](http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-6212-why_did_james_chasse_jr_die.html). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/88 "2013-12-21T00:04:53Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > No. I used a mathematical tool called “division”. It is “Distance” divided by “time” equals “velocity”. Look it up (it is in most mathematics texts). > You may find it useful! However, any inaccuracies in your measurements of distance and time will impact on the accuracy of your calculation of velocity. Look it up! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/89 "2013-12-21T06:09:44Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > No. I used a mathematical tool called “division”. It is “Distance” divided by “time” equals “velocity”. Look it up (it is in most mathematics texts). > You may find it useful! And how did you measure the distance and the time? I’ll give you a hint, you couldn’t have. At best your wife guessed. And let me guess, your wife pulled out into traffic and was hit by someone she guessed was going 40mph. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/90 "2013-12-21T09:56:52Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > I know almost all my local cops personally. Quite a few by first name. Almost all by last name. I am a public defender and I live in the jurisdiction I practice in. The actual town I live in is only a few square miles, though the county is huge. > > I trust most of the cops. Almost all are good, as people generally, and are competent at their job. A select few are good at their jobs, but kind of assholes in person. Only one or two are generally bad at their jobs, but not really in a malicious way. Just more like they would be bad at any job because they are idiots. One or two are maliciously bad at their jobs. > > If I were in a tight spot and had to call 911, I am confident that my situation would be handled professionally, expediently, etc… though I would probably ask for a few officers by name to respond. I am in a similar situation, although, I am a lawyer who dabbles in criminal work rather than a public defender. It’s about the same for me. Most of the errors are due to negligence and stupidity rather than malevolance. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/91 "2013-12-21T13:07:21Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > And how did you measure the distance and the time? I’ll give you a hint, you couldn’t have. At best your wife guessed. And let me guess, your wife pulled out into traffic and was hit by someone she guessed was going 40mph. I used an optical rangefinder (accuracy \>0.00%), and time via a stopwatch. So there! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/92 "2013-12-21T13:14:39Z")
[Accuracy \>0.00%](http://hugelol.com/lol/48278). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/93 "2013-12-21T13:32:07Z")
I’ve had to deal with them a few times because I’m a bad parent. They’ve always been more than fair and understanding when my daughter has messed up. They could’ve arrested and booked her on at least 3 occasions but instead let me deal with her. She’s a good kid/citizen now and doesn’t view the cops as an adversary–in fact she considers them as guardians from society’s delinquents. 🙂 My son’s legal trouble’s had more to do with an over-zealous DA. The cops came to serve an arrest warrant (for a felony charge) but chose not to haul him away as long as we agreed to show up in court at the specified time. Of course, we’re white. I have no idea if that has actually _mattered_, but I’m given to understand I am supposed to believe it has. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/94 "2013-12-21T14:25:21Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I used an optical rangefinder (accuracy \>0.00%), and time via a stopwatch. So there! It’s quite a coincidence that you were there inaccurately measuring the speed of random cars when your wife had an accident. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/95 "2013-12-21T14:34:23Z")
Our traffic and crime police are completely separate entities (the latter can’t even give you a parking ticket) but I think of the former when I say “Fuck 'em” - corrupt, power-mad slobs I wouldn’t trust to tell me the time of day. Probably not all so, but all the ones I’ve encountered are. Criminal cops, I’m OK with - I’d say there’s a lot more good ones than bad ones…nowadays. But I was (understandably - South Africa, 70s-80s) brought up with a complete distrust of them too, which I’m mostly overcome despite the past. ---
**Author:** ![NeverKnownNormal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@NeverKnownNormal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeverKnownNormal)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/96 "2013-12-21T14:52:19Z")
In the small town I consider my “home” town (Northwestern Kansas, 5,000 residents, and the county seat) I knew one local police officer from childhood, and liked him, but never saw him on the job. The one I saw regularly was an arrogant jerk who harassed the local teens regularly, especially the girls. My best friend eventually ended up filing harassment charges against him. (They stuck, and he ended up being moved somewhere with a whole lot of space and not very many people at all.) His treatment of me colored my attitude toward law enforcement in general for a very long time after. I moved to a slightly bigger town (Southeastern Kansas, 18,000 permanent residents, but I think we operate at 30k while the University is in session) and live in the county, so I get to deal with city police and county sheriff’s deputies at different times and places. As I’ve grown older and less terrified, my dealings with LEO’s have gotten better, though I can’t say any of the ones here have been actively bad, unless you count the deputy who wrote down the address of the accident at an intersection that doesn’t exist. :rolleyes: Lately, I’m getting to know far too many of the locals on a first-name-basis, mostly by way of the troubles with my mother. I’m sincerely glad that the deputy who came out on the welfare check mom sent him on waited in his truck long enough for hubby to go out and calm the dog he could see. He told hubby he didn’t want to tase the dog. Hubby said that was a good thing, since the other three would likely have been very unhappy with him for doing it.:smack: He hadn’t seen them, since one had been coming around from behind his truck, one from in front, and one literally came underneath. Once hubby introduced them all around, all was well, but it could have been ugly. (That was less than a month after someone tried to steal our air compressor about 2 am. We heard the dogs erupt out from under the house, heard a scream, an engine rev, tires on gravel, and only THEN did they bark. After that, they apparently decided to surround the prey. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/97 "2013-12-22T03:46:51Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > In front of the national police HQ in Bangkok is a statue of a cop carrying a child in his arms to safety. The Thais commonly say that’s the only helpful cop in the country. A wee bit of an exaggeration perhaps, but really, the police here are best avoided in general. > > Although they probably are the best police _that money can buy_, if you catch my drift. To illustrate, they just caught a serial killer of children upcountry, and here is a [typical tale of local police apathy](http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/386088/missing-kids-families-blast-police-apathy) in two of the children’s deaths. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/98 "2013-12-22T04:02:11Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > To illustrate, they just caught a serial killer of children upcountry, and here is a [typical tale of local police apathy](http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/386088/missing-kids-families-blast-police-apathy) in two of the children’s deaths. [QUOTE= the link] ‘‘The location the witch doctor told us was the same location where Nui confessed to police that he killed my son and dumped his body.’’ [/QUOTE] So, I was a little shocked/surprised/nonplussed by this, then I remembered seeing homeopathic remedies in the pharmacy at a Walgreens. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/99 "2013-12-22T18:54:10Z")
I’m not a huge fan of the NYPD. They haven’t done much to me personally to me aside from a cop walking into the bakery I work at and informing his partner that I must be bulimic because I’m not overweight, but stop and frisk is a pretty much universally unpopular tactic. I witnessed what must have been a stop and frisk. Two uniformed officers and two undercover officers had a group of teenage boys lined up against a basket ball court fence and one of the undercover cops took items out of a boy’s pocket and threw whatever the boy had into the street. Meanwhile there was a trash can on the corner. Or the cop could have simply confiscated whatever it was which I’m assuming is proper procedure. I had another bizarre encounter in which two cops driving pulled me over while I was walking and said I shouldn’t have my ipod out in a black neighborhood (Harlem- and I’m a white female). I said “Are you serious? I used to walk around Bed Stuy (Bedford Stuyvesant- a somewhat “rough” neighborhood in Brooklyn) listening to music and nothing ever happened. I don’t have it so loud that I can’t hear anything.” And they said “Oh ok, never mind.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676/100 "2013-12-22T21:54:21Z")
My township they’re great. I know most of them & they were always helpful when we were out on a call (EMS). However, the neighboring township (2miles away)…they make the Keystone Kops look professional! I dont know how they keep their accrediation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-if-at-all-do-you-trust-the-police-where-you-live/676676.md?page=6)