# Why I hate cops **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 19, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174 "2014-06-19T21:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/101 "2014-06-20T19:16:28Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > When he got out to file a complaint, none of the officers would take his report. This is my pet peeve when it comes to cops, at least here in NYC. The police are (or at least were, under the last two administrations in this city) under considerable pressure to produce numbers showing that crime is down. So what happens is that they simply will not take reports of crimes. They’ll respond to 911 calls, sure, but if you go to your local precinct house to report that your apartment has been robbed, or your car broken into, or your house vandalized, or that you were mugged on the street, or even assaulted and beaten (but not badly enough to have to be hospitalized), you’ll be told “hey, we’re changing shifts now. Can you come back later?” And you’ll come back later, and you’ll get the same story. Or you’ll here that the officer who takes reports is out sick that day, and you’ll have to come back tomorrow. This can go on for weeks, no matter that you need a police report to make a claim from your insurance company. And if you persist, it will get nasty. You’ll start to hear “have you ever been arrested?” You’ll hear, “so, if we come to your apartment to take a report, are we going to find anything illegal?” Not that you asked them to come to your apartment – the insinuation is that they’re coming to your place, and they _will_ find something illegal. And finally, you’ll be told straight out to get the fuck out of the precinct house and not come back. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/102 "2014-06-20T20:30:12Z")
The issue with the Police is instututional. IT’s not just a few bad apples, unfortunately. There was a local incident a few months back where a cop brutally beat up a teenager. He LIED and said the teenager attacked him first and therefore was justified in the brutal beating. Then footage of a nearby security camera is released showing that in fact there was NO provocation. Now, in most situation, the top brass will cover for the officer, even in the face of blatant evidence of misconduct, but this was one of those rare cases in which it did not. A ha! So it’s not an issue, it is just a case of a few bad apples… That’s what I thought too, until the next part of the report is the ENTIRE police force of that town and nearby towns all defending the thug cop. Rhetoric the likes of “Do you want cops hesitating?!” YES. I god damn do want cops to stop and think if the vicious beating of an unarmed civilian is justified or not, you dumb fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/103 "2014-06-20T20:36:35Z")
And this isn’t some isolated event. This happens all the time across the entire country. So long as we keep treating these people like some sort of superheroes, instead of the flawed human beings they are, and so long as we refuse to hold them accountable, the issues will continue to get worse. The trend now is to further militarize the police force and send them off to break down doors and shoot and ask quesitons later at the slightest of provications. Hell, wasnt there just another incident where some imbecile mayor decided that calling the SWAT team on some kids because of a parody twitter account was a good idea? Is that just the mayor’s fault? I don’t think so. I can’t comprehend the mentality of the people on that swat team, first thing out of my mouth would have been: Are you f’ing kidding me? People can die in this operation… and we’re going in 'cause of a twitter account?? But none of those asshats would ever give up a chance to “saddle up” and play soldier. Half of the force would be packing our bags at Walmart otherwise, and yet here we are, giving them the power of life and death over the rest of us with little oversight and almost no accountability. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/104 "2014-06-20T21:33:19Z")
Okay, I can’t deny race is a big factor in your experience with the police. But I still stand by my belief that if you’re a white person and you’ve had nothing but bad experiences with the police, then the problem is at least partly your fault. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/105 "2014-06-20T21:47:08Z")
Bullshit. Assholes with badges are assholes with badges. Minorities receiving more of their attention doesn’t preclude white folks from getting it too. Why don’t you get to know some folks from the wrong side of the tracks in areas where the cops don’t have black folks or Hispanics to bully? You get yo small enough departments in small enough towns and a family name may be enough to keep them on your ass. The job attracts people who want to exercise power over others. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/106 "2014-06-20T22:03:07Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The job attracts people who want to exercise power over others. I absolutely agree with this. I’d say this is true moreso with policing than with any other profession out there. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/107 "2014-06-20T22:20:21Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Bullshit. Assholes with badges are assholes with badges. Minorities receiving more of their attention doesn’t preclude white folks from getting it too. Why don’t you get to know some folks from the wrong side of the tracks in areas where the cops don’t have black folks or Hispanics to bully? You get yo small enough departments in small enough towns and a family name may be enough to keep them on your ass. > > The job attracts people who want to exercise power over others. Doesn’t the testing and weeding out process at least attempt to prevent power-hungry cops? Where I live, the chief of police is black and appears to be a very stand-up guy, and a goodly percentage of the staff are black (I live in an area with a large percentage of black citizens.) I definitely know that there are asshole cops or at least cops capable of portraying poor judgement and bias, as cited upthread more than once…but I can’t recall any reported local incidents where LEO overstepped their bounds. Mind you I am white, more or less law-abiding and middle-aged and my limited experience with LEO tend to be positive rather than negative. Given different demographics i imagine that could change. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/108 "2014-06-20T22:48:28Z")
Assholes come in every color. Thus, the emergence of anal bleaching as a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/109 "2014-06-20T22:55:34Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Assholes come in every color. > Thus, the emergence of anal bleaching as a thing. Even assholes wanna be white? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/110 "2014-06-20T22:57:39Z")
Only if they want to prosper in anal sex, which is a 21st century growth industry. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/111 "2014-06-20T23:00:34Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > There are lousy and corrupt cops. There are lousy and corrupt doctors. There are lousy and corrupt lawyers. There are lousy and corrupt priests. That doesn’t mean that everyone in the aforementioned professions is lousy and corrupt. True. But a lousy or corrupt cop can _destroy_ your life. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/112 "2014-06-20T23:07:09Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > True. But a lousy or corrupt cop can _destroy_ your life. And a lousy or corrupt cop can straight up kill you with a fucking excellent chance of getting away with it. The others, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/113 "2014-06-20T23:18:33Z")
There are assholes everywhere and in every job. Certainly including police departments. Now asshole cops who target black people or other minorities are just straight out racists and fuck them. But a lot of other people complaining about cops being assholes? I figure most of them were being assholes as well. They were just dumb enough to start a contest with a cop over who could be a bigger asshole - and they’re mad because the cop won. If you hate cops, the cops are going to hate you right back. And they’re going to do a better job of it. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/114 "2014-06-20T23:59:21Z")
Yeah well, I come from a LE family and wore a badge myself for years. I’ve known a lot of cops and I strongly disagree with your assessment. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/115 "2014-06-20T23:59:24Z")
A good friend of mine is a sheriff’s deputy. He really hates bad cops, too. And he says they’re not much that can be done about them. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/116 "2014-06-21T00:07:34Z")
> [@LibrarySpy](#): > > I didn’t state anything that wasn’t common knowledge. Except my own rationality. 😃 > > But here: [Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops](http://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836) > > There’s also [today’s news of a cop shooting a man in the back](http://fox13now.com/2014/06/20/police-too-quick-to-shoot-cops-shot-kill-new-mexico-homeless-man/). > > If all these shootings are so justified, why are the payouts so high? What are they wasting millions of taxpayer dollars for? Just to be nice? Yep, **Czarcasm**. You called it spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/117 "2014-06-21T00:29:01Z")
> [@LibrarySpy](#): > > Cops are chosen for their low IQs. Degrees are not required. We give them guns and tell them we’ll cover up any shooting or fatal beating they commit. Then we tell them to target minorities and the poor because they’re “criminals.” > > I’m a tiny little white girl who’s never been arrested and I fear the cops because I am a rational human being. Fully agreed. Rationality is a perfect excuse to not trust potential nutcases with guns and a uniform. And all that Blue Blood crap can be shoved up their asses. Are there good ones? Sure. Are there cops who joined to truly make a difference? Absolutely. If anyone thinks MOST cops are like that, I fully disagree. Collectively, they scare me. I’m not going to cite anything for anyone, but if you’re feeling saucy, google Burbank CA police FBI investigation . I work in this town and it is stuck in the ol’ western days. I’m at work, but I’ll happily share stupid stories later if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/118 "2014-06-21T06:21:48Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > The job attracts people who want to exercise power over others. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > I absolutely agree with this. I’d say this is true moreso with policing than with any other profession out there. I agree. I think the very nature of the job attracts people like this. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/119 "2014-06-21T13:05:38Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > There are lousy and corrupt cops. There are lousy and corrupt doctors. There are lousy and corrupt lawyers. There are lousy and corrupt priests. That doesn’t mean that everyone in the aforementioned professions is lousy and corrupt. The big difference is bad doctors and lawyers are fairly easily reported on. Police and priests, not so much, due to both groups being pretty much solely in charge of their own oversight. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2014, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174/120 "2014-06-21T13:12:49Z")
To date, all the cavity searches performed by my doctor have been entered into voluntarily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-cops/691174.md?page=7)