# Police harassment and meanness **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 17, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313 "2003-04-17T14:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/21 "2003-04-18T13:33:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winston\_Smith \* > \*\ ***Badge** , I think your heart’s in the right place, but speaking from experience filing a complaint against the police may not only _not_ help, but may make things worse. I went through a protracted run-in with the local PD in a town I lived in a few years ago in another life. what started out as mild harrassment/proactive policing quickly became outright vindictiveness and full-blown ball-breaking on the part of the PD (actually a handful of officers). They felt they were justified, as my then-girlfriend had been busted for possession of grass. In their eyes, that made her a huge drug dealer/connection worthy of shake-downs, interrogations, and etc. I’m not condoning her drug use. Illegal is illegal. But it was really rediculous. The cops there were acting like I was Al Capone, and she was my flunky/moll/fall-girl. > I ended up moving out of town after a year of being hasseled. You can’t fight City Hall, is my point. And for the record, I don’t use drugs, or sell them, or condone either, but to each his own. \*\* This is all the more reason to complain and document. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/22 "2003-04-18T13:42:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*This is all the more reason to complain and document. \*\* But my point is that when I complained and documented, it got worse. Like it or not, the police (like anyone else) can be very fraternal. I’m not saying it’s _always_ like this _everywhere_, but if **Indygrrl** goes down to the Police Station to complain, she might just get more than she bargained for. I sure did. Then again, **Badge** may be right on the money, and these few rogue cops are disciplined and everyone lives happily ever after. **Indygrrl** needs to be prepared for either outcome. _The Lady or the Tiger_, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/23 "2003-04-18T13:56:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* > \*\*Somewhere out there there’s a police dispatcher with [a big ass and an 80’s hairstyle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=177224) who has a very happy smile today. \*\* No way man, the lady cop was pretty hot–she was a bitch, but she was hot.😃 I’m not going to make a complaint. There’s not much good it could do. There were four of them and one of me, and I doubt they would get in trouble for rudeness and being assholes. I was told the reason they broke down the door was because they had knocked and knocked and I didn’t answer. What can I say? I was in bed. I don’t know how long/hard they knocked. I can say that I didn’t appreciate being treated like a criminal for no reason. Had they come in and explained themselves in a logical manner, without being accusatory, I probably would have been more accepting of their actions. I understand that they have to investigate all calls they get. What I don’t understand is why they held their guns on me after they saw I was empty handed. They also asked me repeatedly who else was in the apartment. Then they all but accused me of having had a boyfriend in the apartment earlier in the morning. It made my respect for IPD go down even further than it already was. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/24 "2003-04-18T14:25:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Indygrrl \* > \*\*I’m not going to make a complaint. There’s not much good it could do. There were four of them and one of me, and I doubt they would get in trouble for rudeness and being assholes. I was told the reason they broke down the door was because they had knocked and knocked and I didn’t answer. What can I say? I was in bed. I don’t know how long/hard they knocked. I can say that I didn’t appreciate being treated like a criminal for no reason. Had they come in and explained themselves in a logical manner, without being accusatory, I probably would have been more accepting of their actions. \*\* I musta have missed where they treated you like a criminal. \*\* > [@](#): > > I understand that they have to investigate all calls they get. What I don’t understand is why they held their guns on me after they saw I was empty handed. They also asked me repeatedly who else was in the apartment. Then they all but accused me of having had a boyfriend in the apartment earlier in the morning. It made my respect for IPD go down even further than it already was. \*\* Well I would assume everything was for their protection, except the rude part of course, which is out of line. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/25 "2003-04-18T14:38:54Z")
They treated me like a criminal by keeping four guns on me after seeing there was nothing going on. Also, by treating me like I was lying, even though there was no evidence that I was. I don’t see the need to ask me the same question 4-5 times after answering it truthfully the first time. When I had the nerve to question what was going on, they acted like I was completely out of line. They bust down my door and harass me in front of my child, to me, that’s being treated like a criminal. Plus, the fact that they said they were doing it for MY protection. They made snide comments about me having a boyfriend in there and basically accusing me of lying about it. As for their protection, I don’t see why they would feel threatened by an empty handed woman in her pajamas and a seven-year old child. They weren’t at all apologetic about the situation, in fact, they got mad because I wasn’t thanking them enough. I felt very violated by the situation. And, of course, the neighbors were all out in full force to see what was going on. I still don’t know which one of them called the police on me. It was a fucked up situation, and I can completely see why cops have a reputation as bullys and why people don’t trust them. ---
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/26 "2003-04-18T14:42:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary Kumquat \* > \*\*Somewhere out there there’s a police dispatcher with [a big ass and an 80’s hairstyle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=177224) who has a very happy smile today. \*\* Gary, report to Lynn’s office…Gary, report to Lynn’s office… ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/27 "2003-04-18T15:30:02Z")
Here’s a couple of links to illustrate why many are afraid of the police in Indianapolis. [http://www.leaf-radford.org/main.htm](http://www.leaf-radford.org/main.htm) [http://www.leaf-radford.org/parade.htm](http://www.leaf-radford.org/parade.htm) [http://www.leaf-radford.org/vigil2.htm](http://www.leaf-radford.org/vigil2.htm) [http://www.indystar.com/library/factfiles/crime/law\_enforcement/conduct/taylor\_michael/mtaylor.html](http://www.indystar.com/library/factfiles/crime/law_enforcement/conduct/taylor_michael/mtaylor.html) ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313/28 "2003-04-18T15:40:34Z")
Holy Shit! :eek: That would be really frightening. How about phoning the police and inquiring what happened? That’s what I would do, but I’ve always have very positive experiences with Calgary police. Also, I’d sure want to find out who had filed the false report. Come to think of it, the police might be interested too. I think that’s pretty serious busness, in a misdemenour sort of way. I hope you and your little girl are ok. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-harassment-and-meanness/169313.md?page=1)